


Alex Worthington and the Philosopher's Stone

by NumberXIVXion



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alternate Universe - Harry Potter Setting, Book 1: Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, Gen, Original Character(s), Original Character-centric, Originally Posted on FanFiction.Net
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-01-11
Updated: 2018-01-24
Packaged: 2019-03-03 12:59:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 40,720
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13341753
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NumberXIVXion/pseuds/NumberXIVXion
Summary: Alexandra Worthington is about to begin her first year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. So is world-renowned Harry Potter. Alex, a total bookworm and member of the prestigious Worthington family,  only has one goal in mind: Meet Harry Potter. At all costs. But first, she'll have to survive the Sorting Ceremony and other perils awaiting her at Hogwarts. Her eagerness may end up getting her wrapped up in something beyond her wildest dreams...[This will be an ambitious attempt to rewrite Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone from the point of an OC. There will be a few OCs scattered here and there, but I will mostly attempt to flesh out minor, canon characters. Enjoy.]





	1. THE GIRL WHO FEARED

"You'll be a good girl, won't you, darling?"

"..."

"Are you listening, darling? Daddy has something important to say."

"..."

"Answer me, Alexandra Persephone Worthington."

"Y-You don't have to use my full name, Father."

"Alex."

Alex, sighing, gave her demanding father a curt nod to show she was indeed listening. Much to her annoyance, this prompted him to smile from ear to ear, revealing teeth that were a bit  _too_  perfect and white. She could almost see her reflection in them.

"Stop it, Father," she said quietly. "You're embarrassing me."

Not that the numerous families on platform nine and three-quarters would be able to hear their conversation over the whirring engines of the Hogwarts Express. Powerful spurts of steam shot out the top of the scarlet train, which was raring to begin yet another voyage to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Alex hoped she would soon join it if it meant she could get away from the man fiddling with her clothing.

"I'm not a little girl anymore, Father. You don't have to..."

"Come here, darling. I think you have some of this morning's breakfast stuck between your teeth."

"F-Father! No! Please, you're..."

Too late. Nigel Worthington, giving no mind to the curious glances thrown his way, put his fingers into his daughter's mouth and retrieved a piece of cabbage stuck between her incisors. Mortified, Alex tried and tried to shove him away to no avail. Being a scrawny, eleven-year-old girl had its disadvantages.

"All better," chimed Nigel with a chuckle and another smile. Patting his daughter's curly, black hair, he added, "Now then, time for you to hop on the train. You'll be on your way to Hogwarts in no time. Remember to brush your teeth at least three...scratch that...four times a day, floss, don't eat any abrasive foods, use plenty of mouthwash and..."

"I get it, Father!" Alex shouted much louder than she meant. Drawing a crowd again, she lowered her head and groaned. "Please! I'll be fine."

Her father always did have an unhealthy obsession with clean teeth,  _really_  unhealthy. He liked to study them, prod them, watch as they chewed food (which was completely disgusting, by the way). The Worthington basement was filled with magical posters of teeth and famous witches and wizards who Nigel claimed had 'the kind of choppers everyone should aspire for.' Whatever that meant. He always stated that if he was born a Muggle, he would be a 'dentist' or whatever in the world  _that_ was. Alex usually tried her best not to ask as it would get her father started on a lengthy tirade on proper teeth care.

For once though, the insane ramblings of her parent wasn't the worst of her worries. Gulping, her amber eyes returned themselves to the Hogwarts Express. All her life, she had been preparing for this day. Like maintaining strong gums, being a Witch seemed to be her destiny. And it wasn't like she had anything against it. Unlike all the smiling faces around her, however, she couldn't say she was one-hundred percent thrilled with the prospect of going to an unknown place and being expected to use magic. What if she screwed up? What if she didn't live up to everyone's expectations?

"Do you have your wand, Alex?" asked Nigel, checking his daughter's suitcase for any missing items.

"Yes, Father," replied Alex in exasperation. "I've got my toothbrushes as well."

All twenty-seven of them, in fact.

"Very good, darling. Oh, I'm so proud of you!"

Alex, on the receiving end of a tight hug, grimaced.  _Even more_  people were stopping to check out the display of affection. Squealing, Alex hastily broke herself free and made a mad dash for the train, putting her fears behind her for the time being. Her father was far scarier than learning to wave a wand around.

"Good luck, Alex!" Nigel said with a wave. "And make sure to get sorted into Hufflepuff!"

Alex groaned again. Hufflepuff. The house of just about everyone in her family. Her father. Her mother. Her grandfather. Her great-great aunt who had a bad hip and awful temper.  _Everyone_.

Hufflepuff was also the 'house of losers' if her prior research of Hogwarts was accurate. She could count the number of famous witches and wizards from  _that_  house on one hand. Nothing good ever happened to a Hufflepuff, so maybe that's why nothing ever good ever happened to her.

Grunting as she pulled herself and her hefty suitcase onto the train, she shook the idea out of her mind. She wasn't going to be a Hufflepuff. No way, no how. She didn't know how Hogwarts would determine which house she would end up in. Regardless, she would beg and even plead to be put in Gryffindor. Heck, even Slytherin sounded better than being a lowly Hufflepuff. Sure, lots of Dark Wizards came out of Slytherin, including a certain someone she wasn't supposed to mention, but come on. She bet Slytherins didn't get laughed at or referred to as worthless.

_Please, Gryffindor. Please, Slytherin. Just not Hufflepuff. Anything but that._

Yes, that would do the trick. Hopefully.

**#**

"'Scuse me. Pardon me."

This was a new experience for Alex. Kids, some near her age and others much older, eyed her warily as she made her way through the seemingly infinite cars of the Hogwarts Express. In search of an empty seat, Alex kept her eyes glued firmly to the floor. Dealing with her manic father was one thing; having to interact with people her age was a whole other. Alex Worthington wasn't the sort to 'go out and play' if you will. No, Alex Worthington was the sort who kept her nose planted between the pages of a good book while hiding away in her room for hours at a time. Fairy tales and the like never interested her. She preferred reality, history to be more exact. Reading about famous witches and wizards such as Rowena Ravenclaw, Gellert Grindelwald, Albus Dumbledore and Newt Scamander (who she could admit was one of the few Hufflepuffs worth talking about) was more up her alley. She had lost count of the number of times she had read  _Quidditch Through the Ages_. She had no interest in the sport whatsoever. The book being so highly detailed was merely something she could appreciate.

Wordlessly, she continued her search for seating, dragging her hefty suitcase behind her. Her father really had gone overboard when packing her things. Her mother had been too busy to do so, and Alex cared not what she wore once arriving at Hogwarts since she would be in uniform on a near constant basis. As such, she had (now thinking it quite foolish) left her father to take care of preparing everything but the essentials. She could tell from all the rattling that there were a lot of stupid and probably worthless items inside related to teeth. Magical toothpaste that turned whatever flavor you asked. Chattering teeth that reminded you when to brush. Floss that did all the work for you but would pull one of your teeth out if you weren't careful. Alex got a headache thinking of how stupid it all was.

"Teeth this and teeth that," she bitterly mumbled, causing a pair of girls she passed to raise an eyebrow. "That's all that loony man goes on about..."

Finally, she found an empty compartment where she could hopefully find some peace and quiet. With another grunt, she managed to heave her belongings onto the seat next to her. It wasn't much for company, but it would have to do.

"Whoa!"

She nearly fell out of her seat when the Hogwarts Express gave a great roar and rumbled to a start. This was it. No turning back. Whether she liked it or not, she was on her way to a new school and a mysterious place she was certain all her reading wouldn't wholly prepare her for.

"Be good in school now, darling!" shouted an all too familiar voice. Alex peered out of the window. Horrified, she spotted her father waving like a lunatic as he ran alongside the train. "And remember, strong gums builds strong character! And another thing...!"

Fortunately, the train stormed past the station and turned a corner, leaving her embarrassing father, the rest of the departing students' parents and the station itself behind.

"Good grief..." she muttered, sinking back into her chair. "At least I won't have to deal with that maniac for a little while."

Now, it was checklist time. She peered at her fingers.

"Wand from Ollivanders," she said, dropping her pinky. No way she could forget getting that. What an ordeal that was. After insisting she would be more than happy to use her mother's wand, her father insisted on dragging her down to Diagon Alley and purchasing a brand new one. After debating with Ollivander for literal hours on whether or not some type of 'toothy substance' could be added as the wand's core, Ollivander finally decided on a wand himself. Made of Acacia wood, the strange, old man referred to it as 'firm but a tad bit frail.' At nine inches, the core ended up being 'ten strands of hair from an old and revered unicorn.' Whatever that meant. Alex simply hoped it wouldn't blow up in her face. She read all about wands as well, so she knew that unicorn hairs being used as wand cores seemed to be mostly stable.

Certainly better than teeth.

"All the books required for first years."

Plus a few extra for her own private reading. Her father begged and pleaded, but she made sure not to get anything concerning dental hygiene.

Another finger fell as she added, "I think there's a cauldron in my bag. ...I think."

She certainly hoped so. Her father, bless his heart, was totally scatterbrained when it came to things that weren't inside a person's mouth. He might have misplaced her cauldron somewhere knowing him. Then again, her suitcase was so hefty, she couldn't see how there  _wasn't_  something like a cauldron in there. It wasn't like she had much interest in making potions in the first place, so she shrugged, thinking it might not matter in the end.

"Money..."

Alex shook her pockets. Jingling. She had plenty of spare Sickles and a few Galleons from her mother, who had stopped by Gringotts. Her father had neglected to give her any pocket change considering he was too excited about the prospect of her being a Hufflepuff and striving to find her yellow and black robes.

"Better look through my stuff while I've still got time to ask to go back home."

Scales, a telescope, work robes, a copy of  _Bewitch Your Friends and Befuddle Your Enemies with the Latest Revenges: Hair Loss, Jelly Legs, Tongue-Tying and Much, Much More_  by Vindictus Viridian (she bought that one behind her father's back). The only thing she was really missing was a pet of some sort, but she wasn't really an animal lover and told her father not to bother. She could deal with the school fussing with her if it came down to it. Better that than being covered in cat fur or having to clean up owl droppings.

She closed her suitcase and took a deep breath. She might not have had any clue what Hogwarts planned on throwing at her, but she could take comfort in knowing she was prepared.

Or so she thought.

"Well, well, well. Worthington. I guess you  _are_  the right age to start at Hogwarts. Still, I thought you and that buffoon of a father would be too busy pulling teeth to catch the train."

A duo of snickers came behind those calm but malicious words. With great reluctance, Alex glanced up from the copy of  _Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them_  she was reading to pass the time and narrowed her eyelids at the trio of boys standing in her supposedly private compartment.

"Malfoy. How surprising. Speaking of trains, I assumed someone of your standing would be too good for a measly one like this."

Pale-faced with sandy, blond hair, Alex could hardly refer to Draco Malfoy as 'ugly.' In fact, he was rather handsome, which infuriated her to no end considering he was a complete and utter snob. Alongside him were his far less appealing goons: Gregory Goyle and Vincent Crabbe. They were a lot bigger than him. They were also akin to hairless gorillas in Alex's estimation, something that made her giggle despite her best efforts to hold them back.

"What's so funny, Worthington?" snarled Malfoy. "After all,  _you_  of all people shouldn't have anything to smile about."

Alex flinched. "What's that supposed to mean?"

Malfoy's lips curled into an even wider smirk, reminding Alex of a snake. "It'll be off to Hufflepuff with you, right? How fortunate. I'm sure the rest of those losers will enjoy knowing they've got someone to ask if their molars are rotting from having eaten too many Chocolate Frogs."

While Alex didn't find Malfoy's jab humorous at all, going pink in the ears, Crabbe and Goyle were splitting their sides in laughter.

"Very funny," she grumbled. "Go bother someone else, Malfoy. Don't you and your father have some Muggle-borns to terrorize?"

The intended slight only caused Malfoy to grin even more. "Not a bad idea. There's plenty of them on board this train, unfortunately. I can smell their stench from here."

Alex frowned. It certainly wasn't a secret that the Malfoys, being the purest of Pure-Bloods, weren't fond of Muggle-borns being admitted to Hogwarts. Rich in terms of money and malice, they were either reviled or idolized in the wizarding world. In Alex's case, she definitely edged more on 'reviled.' Being a pure-blood herself, she felt idiots like the Malfoys gave families like hers a bad name. As eccentric as her father was, the Worthingtons were also a family of rather high status and prestige, meaning she and her relatives were very familiar with the Malfoys. Alex could almost go so far as to refer to her and Draco Malfoy as 'childhood friends.' Too bad she despised him more than her father's stories about the dangers of wisdom teeth. Ever since their first meeting as little kids, she could tell Malfoy wasn't quite right.

"Well then, you'd better go do something about it," she said in jest, going back to her reading. Malfoy might not have been the sharpest tool in the shed, yet, she hoped he would take the hint that neither he or his cronies were wanted.

"Fine." Malfoy chuckled. "Better hope you're sorted into Slytherin, Worthington. After all, you wouldn't want to be in any of the other houses considering they're fine with Mudbloods being in their ranks."

Alex flinched at the term 'Mudblood' but managed to keep a straight face."I'll keep that in mind."

"You had better, Worthington."

With his robes trailing behind him, Malfoy, alongside Crabbe and Goyle, took his leave, slamming the door behind him. The second he was gone, Alex stuck out her tongue and blew her unwanted guests a raspberry. On second thought, she decided being put in Slytherin over Hufflepuff wasn't such a great scenario after all.

"I really hate that guy..."

**#**

Alex couldn't say how much time had gone by. Lost in the pages of her book, she looked up to see the Hogwarts Express had already passed London at some point. Grassy fields teeming with farm animals were flying by now. Nothing about them made her feel like she was headed toward a school of witchcraft and wizardry. Neither did the raucous shouting from the corridors and compartments around hers. Growling, she strived to drown out all the noise and focus on the words in front of her.

"I know they  _are_  children, but that's no reason for them to act..."

"Say, you're reading  _Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them_ , aren't you? I must say that I quite enjoyed that one. I've read it three times already, front to back, but I'm still amazed at all the creatures of the wizarding world."

Alex blinked. How long had the grinning, brown-haired girl speaking been sitting across from her? Thrown for a loop, Alex couldn't think of anything to say. The brunette took this as her cue to continue.

"Oh, but it's good to see I'm not the only one here going through our assigned books before we get to school. Doesn't everyone out there realize it's important to find out everything you can so you're ready for the first day? They're just playing around. Oh, but I suppose people who grew up in wizarding families wouldn't be too impressed with the prospect of going to a wizarding school. I'm positively  _floored_ , I tell you! Besides  _Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them_ , I've already gone through  _Magical Theory, A History of Magic_ and  _The Standard Book of Spells_. How I wished we weren't just stuck with Grade 1 of that last one. I'm curious as to what people beyond the first year are studying."

Alex blinked again. Whoever this girl was, she sure had a mouth on her. Speaking of mouths, her new acquaintance also had a rather large pair of front teeth, teeth that made a chill run down her spine. Maybe all her father's ramblings about 'perfect teeth' had stuck with her more than she realized.

"Who...are you?" she felt compelled to ask.

"Hermione Granger," the overeager girl answered. "And you?"

With some delay, Alex said, "Alex. Alex Worthington."

"Of the Worthington family?"

"You know us?"

"Of course!" replied Hermione like that was the silliest question in the world. "Why, the Worthingtons are in the top ten of great wizarding families. I've read all about you lot in  _A History of Magic_."

"Is that right?"

Alex never thought her reading skills lacking until now.

"Wait," she started. "It sounds like you didn't grow up in a 'wizarding family.' Does that make you a...?"

"Muggle-born, yes," replied Hermione, still rather chipper. "I must admit that learning about magic was quite the shock at first, but now I've come to adore the stuff. It took my parents some convincing to buy all the literature and school supplies I'd need, but..."

The door to Alex's compartment slid open again. In complete contrast to Malfoy or even Hermione, the round-faced boy who quietly walked in looked positively miserable. Alex could have sworn someone just told him his mother had died.

"Sorry," he began, "but have you two happened to see a toad?"

"A toad?" repeated Alex before taking a brief moment to think. "Sorry. I haven't."

"Neither have I," said Hermione.

"Great..." the somber-looking boy groaned, giving Alex a hunch this development was anything but 'great.' "This is the twelfth time I've lost him and..."

"We'll help you look for him," Hermione stated suddenly, springing to her feet. "Right, Alex?"

"C-Come again?"

Alex wasn't fond of most animals, but frogs  _definitely_  topped the list. She got goosebumps just thinking of one of them hopping around the place.

"I'll...pass if that's okay," she muttered. Not that she was giving Hermione much choice in the matter. She wasn't getting out of her seat even if someone pointed a wand at her and threatened her with the Cruciatus Curse.

Hermione frowned a bit but said, "Fine. Well, it was nice meeting you, Alex."

Alex nodded as Hermione and the now sniffling boy vanished behind the sliding door.

"Okay then..."

Even for a Muggle-born, Hermione Granger seemed quite peculiar.

**#**

A woman pushing a cart of all sorts of snacks visited Alex later on. Not feeling very hungry, she used some of her Sickles to buy a few boxes of Chocolate Frogs for later. Then again, the prospect of eating sweets for the first time in a  _long_ time was too much for her to pass up. She cracked open a box and nearly choked as she shoved the sweet candy down her throat. Her eyes just about rolled into the back of her head. The Frogs felt like they were dancing on her tongue. Her father was serious about her maintaining her pearly, white teeth and thus forbade her from even thinking about sugar, let alone coming into contact with it. Her father, however, wasn't here. Even if he was, how could something he claimed to be so bad taste so  _good_? Alex was on her second box before she knew it.

"My, you really like those, don't you? Be careful. Eating too many Chocolate Frogs has been known to turn you into a goblin."

Gagging on her candy, Alex went blue, green and then purple in the face. As surprised as she was by yet another person invading her cabin, it was nothing compared to seeing exactly who the culprit was. Wand tucked curiously behind her left ear. Dark, blonde hair that was as unkempt as it was long. Wide, silvery eyes that absorbed her surroundings like a sponge in water. Even without her saying anything, Alex could tell that something wasn't quite  _right_  with this girl. Every nerve in her body told her to stand and run while she had the chance. Before she could, the wispy sort of girl smiled at her and took the liberty of placing her belongings on the ground so she could sit right next to her.

"Hello," the girl said.

"H-Hi," replied Alex softly, having another hunch that responding was a mistake she would live to regret. "Who...?"

"Is it alright if I sit here?"

"Aren't you...already sitting there?"

"Thank you."

"W-Wait, I didn't..."

But the odd girl was no longer paying her any attention. Rather, she began reading from a magazine Alex didn't recognize. Although, the girl reading it  _upside-down_  was of far greater concern. What in the world was going on? Alex, confused beyond belief, wasn't sure whether to start asking the multitude of questions rumbling in her mind or snatch her suitcase and head for the hills. Afraid the girl would pounce on her like an angry troll if she dared move, Alex decided on neither and merely sat in stunned silence.

The train ride to Hogwarts continued on that note. Alex took another gander out the window and saw the sun just beginning to set over the countryside. This morphed into equally unfamiliar woods, rivers and green hills. From the looks of it, they were in the middle of nowhere. Were they lost? She was tempted to get up and ask the conductor.

"I wonder how much longer..."

Frankly, she was beginning to grow bored with  _Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them_. She had just gotten to the part talking about dragons when a yawn escaped her. She felt like she had been on this train for days, if not weeks. What if it never arrived at its destination? Perhaps that wasn't such an awful idea, she thought. It meant she wouldn't have to do some sort of test and then hear what she already knew was going to happen:  _Hufflepuff_! Would all the kids watching her be Sorted laugh? What if she was the only first year Sorted into Hufflepuff? Dying of embarrassment didn't seem so bad if that was going to be the case.

"A tooth is a hard, calcified substance," she whispered, "used to chew food."

Whenever she was in a panic, she began muttering about teeth to calm her nerves. The odd habit was one she picked up from her father.

"Two rows. Enamel. Gums. Plaque. Gingivitis. Root canal. Toothing. Cavities."

"Are you talking about Goodillies?"

Alex's eyes met the pale ones of the girl sitting beside her. She hadn't been reading her magazine at all but peering at Alex over the top of it.

"Goodillies?" repeated Alex, too confused by the foreign term to be embarrassed at being overheard.

"Oh, yes. They have teeth three times as big as their body and can shoot them like arrows. They're quite common in Chepstow."

Committing the name to memory, Alex checked the index of her book. And not surprisingly, she couldn't find anything about 'Goodillies' or whatever. That was likely a good thing. If her father ever learned of a creature that could shoot its own teeth as a weapon...

"I know who  _you_ are," said the girl, who happened to be wearing a necklace of Butterbeer corks. Her tone was mysterious, dreamy even. She took Alex being as quiet as a mouse as a notion to continue. "You're one of the Worthingtons. I must say, I love your father's work. He submits many wonderful articles to my father's magazine. He's a genius if you ask me. Do you help him come up with them?"

Alex got a good look at the 'magazine' her new acquaintance was reading. In big, bold and red letters near the top was  _The Quibbler_. Of course.  _Now_ it all made sense.

"You said your father wrote that... _thing_ , correct?"

The girl nodded. That would make her one of the Lovegoods. Both they, and  _The Quibbler_ , were known for being nuttier than a fruitcake. Inching away a little, Alex gulped.

"My name is Luna," Luna Lovegood said. She moved closer to Alex, who couldn't tell if she was doing this on purpose. "Tell me. Is your father going to study Goodillies' teeth next?

"I-I...can't say."

Luna got a bit closer. "I'm sure my father could help him catch one if need be."

Alex knew her father was a bit mad, but this was insane even for him.

"I don't think that's..."

"You're reading that book, so it must mean you're looking for information on Goodillies and Crumple-Horned Snorkacks."

"Crumple-Horned what now?"

"Crumple-Horned Snorkacks," said Luna proudly. "Don't bother though. You won't find them in there. It's a real travesty. I think it's a Ministry of Magic conspiracy to keep certain creatures out of there for fear of alarming the public."

"W-Wait. Why would the Ministry...?"

"My father says the Ministry is hiding all sorts of things. Did you know they're plotting on taking over the wizarding world with an army of Moon Frogs and Gulping Plimpies?"

_Fluoride. Incisors. Gum disease. Wisdom teeth. Painful, excruciating wisdom teeth._

Alex, trying her best to drown out Luna's mad ramblings, wondered what she did to deserve them.

As if coming to her aid, a voice magically echoed throughout the train and informed everyone on board to change into their school robes. They would arrive at Hogwarts in five minutes.

"Where has the time gone?" pondered Luna in that dreamy voice of hers. "I wonder if someone here is playing around with a Time Turner."

Sliding her robes over her head, Alex didn't bother to ask if that question was a serious one or rhetorical. Speaking of Time Turners, she wished she had one to go back and stop herself from sitting in this specific compartment.

Luna, having already changed into her robes, hid behind her magazine again. So, it  _was_  possible for this girl to be quiet. That was far more impressive to Alex than hypothetical Goodillies.

Nevertheless, the distraction that was Luna Lovegood had done one bit of good: Alex completely forgot the headache that was to be the upcoming Sorting...until now. She groaned, wishing she could simply skip that part until tomorrow. Her nerves began gnawing at her, and her stomach painfully churned. Maybe eating so many Chocolate Frogs wasn't such a good idea after all.

"Did you know there's another celebrity on this train?"

Luna, peeking out at Alex, blinked a few times.

"Oh really?" replied Alex, feigning interest. Her robes being a bit too big for her caught the majority of her attention.

Luna nodded. "Harry Potter."

Alex froze. Luna had her undivided attention now.

"You're kidding."

"I saw him," said Luna in an even prouder tone. "He's got the lightning scar and everything. I didn't get a chance to talk with him though. Everyone on the train is whispering about it."

The Boy Who Lived. Now  _there_ was a story Alex could certainly verify in one of her textbooks. Even without them, there wasn't a wizard or witch living who hadn't heard of what Harry Potter did to He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named. Alex, in fact, had studied the tale quite intently, scooping up any book pertaining to the matter. Like her, no one could figure out how one boy could defeat the Dark Lord when many Aurors and great witches and wizards of the time fell with ease.

And now, he was here on this train, heading off to Hogwarts alongside everyone present. It was surreal. Alex's heart started to race. She had to meet him. Whatever it took, she had to speak with Harry Potter. Tons of questions flooded her mind, and she wasn't sure which ones to ask him first.

"Quick! Which compartment? I have to..."

The Hogwarts Express suddenly screeched to a stop, nearly knocking Alex off her feet. She grabbed whatever was around her for dear life.

"That's why you should be sitting," said Luna matter-of-factly.

Snarling, Alex replied, "Gee, thanks for the advice."

"You're welcome."

Sarcasm apparently flew right over Luna Lovegood's head. The sooner Alex could get away from her, the better. She was liable to strangle the girl to death otherwise.

**#**

It was only after leaving the train that Alex realized she had taken its warmth for granted. The frigid air met her the moment she stepped outside. Shivering, she looked up to see the starry, night sky greeting her. 'Talking' with Luna, if one could call it that, caused her to lose track of the time. The station platform she and the rest of the first years were standing was completely dark and a little foreboding. Certainly, this wasn't Hogwarts, right? And where did Harry Potter get off to? Alex lamented being so short now since she was forced to bounce up and down like an idiot for a chance to see over everyone else's heads. The sole thing she spotted was some sort of light dancing close-by.

"Firs' years! Firs' years over here! C'mon, follow me."

There might not have been much illumination, but a trembling Alex decided you would have to be totally blind not to see the massive man towering over everyone. He had a great big bushy beard and arms and legs that could each fit three or four Alexs within them. He couldn't be human. He just couldn't.

"What do you think that man is? You don't suppose he's in that book of yours."

Alex recognized the voice whispering in her ear as Luna Lovegood's.

"I...highly doubt it," Alex breathlessly replied.

She and the rest of the first years followed after this giant, with almost no one uttering so much as a peep. Alex pondered if they were as freaked out by their first taste of Hogwarts as she was. The ground, slick with condensation, was difficult to traverse. Numerous times, Alex slipped and nearly crashed into the student in front of her. Even seeing her hand right in front of her face was a trying task. The only light for miles was the giant's lantern. Alex used it as her guide on where to go, feeling she would get hopelessly lost otherwise. Her instincts were screaming at her to just get out of there while she had the chance. They were certain she was being led toward her demise rather than her first day of school. Why else would such a large person be leading she and the others along?

"I think I've figured out what he is," said Luna, trailing right behind Alex.

Though it went against her better judgment, Alex asked, "What?"

"It's something else the Ministry has been keeping secret. They..."

Luna didn't get a chance to elaborate. The giant up ahead said, "Ye' all get yer firs' sight o' Hogwarts in a sec. Jus' round this bend here."

And what a sight it was. Alex, like everyone else in the crowd, went "Oooooh!" thanks to the huge castle sitting upon the tall mountain in the distance. Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Alex had her doubts before arriving here, yet, now she could see exactly why it was so revered in the wizarding world. Even without her stepping foot within its hallowed halls, the castle gave off a certain aura that spoke to the very depths of her young soul.

"If we're going to find any Crumple-Horned Snorkacks, that'll be the place," said Luna, pointing.

Just about anything seemed possible at a place like Hogwarts. Alex actually nodded in agreement.

Her elation melted away, however, the moment she noticed the black lake and legion of boats everyone was walking toward. Oh no. Certainly, she wasn't expected to go across it. If there was one thing Alex hated more than decaying teeth or even frogs, it was large bodies of water. Lakes. Streams. Oceans. It didn't matter. She would rather fight the giant leading them unarmed then go anywhere near the foul waters separating her from Hogwarts.

"No more'n four to a boat!" the giant declared. As the other first years did as he requested, Alex found herself the sole one remaining where she was. It didn't take long for the huge man to notice. "Come on now. Into the boat you go."

Feverishly, Alex shook her head. "N-No thank you."

A few snorts and snickers were heard from the crowd. The giant, meanwhile, frowned and climbed out of his boat.

"That's enough playin' aroun', missy! It's almost time fer tha Sortin' and..."

Alex backpedaled when he drew closer. "I'll just...um...attend Hogwarts next term."

"Scared of tha water now, are ya?" The huge man let out some equally mammoth chuckles, though Alex wasn't sure what was so funny. "Only a few Grindylows and a Giant Squid down there. You'll..."

Alex had already run for her life when the guide mentioned Grindylows. She had read enough of  _Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them_  to know the creatures were anything but fantastic. Hearing heavy footsteps march behind her, she glanced over her shoulder, shrieking upon seeing the giant chase after her. He might have been big, but he was also fast. He caught up with her in no time, snatching her up in his massive arms. Kicking and screaming, Alex flailed her arms about while being carried back toward the waters.

"Lemme go! Lemme go! I don't wanna! I don't wanna!"

"Stop that now!" ordered the giant. "Or I'll throw ya in with them Grindylows!"

That did the trick. Alex became still and silent, though she remained terrified out of her wits. The giant placed her in his boat before shouting, "Everyone in? Right then. FORWARD!"

The laughter died down when the legion of boats began to steer themselves forward in the deep, calm waters. Alex sniffled and took a seat across from the giant, wiping her tear-stained eyes.

"Oh, hush now," the huge man barked. She whimpered in response. "Never heard someone makin' such a fuss 'bout a little water."

Alex sniffled again and wanted to protest that there was nothing 'little' about the lake. She changed her mind, not in the mood to be flattened like a pancake.

"I wanna go home..."

She wouldn't survive the remainder of the evening. That much she was sure of.

**END**


	2. PLEASE NOT HUFFLEPUFF

Alex, having calmed down a little, let out a small sniffle and quietly munched on the rock cake Hogwarts' gamekeeper (who introduced himself as Rubeus Hagrid) gave her to snack on. While it tasted fine, it had the consistency of a brick. Her teeth would break long before she finished the whole thing, so she pocketed it for later,  _much_  later. Looking out upon the black lake while she did so, she was happy to see hers and the other boats nearing a cliff. That meant dry land and hopefully the warmth of the castle.

"I don't know why Muggles like riding these things so much," she muttered to herself. 

"Heads down!" Hagrid yelled at everyone. Alex did as he instructed and was glad she had once her boat sailed through a thick patch of ivy. She avoided most of it, though a few leaves got in her mouth.

"All right there, Alex?" Hagrid asked after overhearing her gagging.

"A-A little boat sick," she admitted. Perhaps eating onboard wasn't the best idea. "Come on, food. Stay down, please. Stay down for mommy..."

"Don't get too full over there. Great Hall'll have plenty o' food for ya first years."

It took everything in Alex's power not to throw up after hearing this. 

"I  _hate_  boats..."

Darkness returned once all the tiny boats entered a pitch black tunnel.

_Here we go again_.

The castle, she hoped, would be far less averse to proper lighting. Resting her weary head on the edge of her boat, she closed her eyes. The watery ride became a bit more calming. She could almost call it relaxing. The silence around her, save for the swishing of the boats gliding through the lake, was quite nice. Her mind emptied, and for the time being, her thoughts drifted to something other than being Sorted into Hufflepuff.

"Freshly brushed tongues. Neatly cleaned incisors. Magical mouthwash."

"What're you mutterin' 'bout down there?" wondered Hagrid.

Blushing, Alex quickly shook her head, just as the fleet of boats arrived at the end of the tunnel. Hagrid gave the signal, and the first years climbed out of the crafts and onto the rocky surface awaiting them. All except Alex, of course. Though she tried to stand, her legs were about as firm as jelly.

"A-A little help?" she squeaked.

"Come on now," said Hagrid with a sigh, lifting Alex by her arm. He pulled a bit too hard though, and she screamed as she went flying right into the sky. "Bloody hell!"

A panicking Hagrid managed to catch her in the nick of time.

"Oy! Are you alright, Alex?! I didn't mean ta..."

Puking over his shoulder wasn't the answer he expected, though it  _did_  confirm she was in one piece. For the most part anyway.

"G-Get me off this ride, Mama. Pretty please," Alex mumbled in a daze.

**#**

Hagrid had to carry Alex while he did so, but he brought her and the rest of the first years up a long staircase made of stone and then in front of a huge, oak door. It nearly rivaled Hagrid in size. A groaning Alex managed to lift her head enough to get a decent grasp of what was happening.

"You can...put me down now," she quietly requested. Being treated like a helpless, little kid while everyone was watching was too much to bear.

"You sure?" asked Hagrid. "Yer still lookin' a little pale there."

Alex nodded and carefully climbed down Hagrid's arm, which was about as long as a ladder. Her stomach grumbled. She could feel a couple more Chocolate Frogs trying to surface. She swallowed hard though, insisting they stay put until at least after the Sorting.

"Everyone here?" asked Hagrid, facing the crowd. Once he confirmed that was the case, he gave the castle door three firm knocks. They were so loud, Alex had to cover her ears. Hagrid might have woken up the dead along with alerting the people inside the castle of their arrival.

Someone was clearly waiting for them. The oak door swung open almost immediately, revealing a woman who Alex felt was twenty times scarier than Hagrid. The tall, severe-looking witch in green robes gazed back at all the first years, prompting Alex to dart behind Hagrid and out of plain sight.

"The firs' years, Professor McGonagall," said Hagrid.

"Oh, great. She's a teacher," groaned Alex, already hoping that whatever subject this Professor McGonagall taught, she wouldn't be assigned it. It could have been her imagination, but she could have sworn the Professor shot her a nasty look out of the corner of her eye. Regardless, Alex hid even further behind the gamekeeper just to be safe.

"Thank you, Hagrid," Professor McGonagall said. "I will take them from here."

As she opened the castle doors completely so that the hundreds of first years could follow her inside, Alex was nearly on the verge of begging Hagrid not to let McGonagall take her.

"Go on now," he said. He gave her a firm push. A normal man wouldn't have done much harm, though since it was Hagrid, he sent her flying into the students in front of her like a bowling ball slamming into pins. "Oh! Sorry 'bout that, Alex!"

She didn't even have the strength the protest. This was simply how her crummy day was going.

**#**

"Welcome to Hogwarts," said Professor McGonagall, having guided the new students into a tiny chamber that reminded Alex a bit of a prison. Were they already in trouble? She, like many others, huddled close to the person next to her. You could cut the tension in the room with a knife. Professor McGonagall, either not noticing or not caring, continued on with her speech. "The start of term banquet will begin shortly, but before you take your seats in the Great Hall, you will be sorted into your house."

Great. The very news Alex  _didn't_ want to hear. It would be strange if Hogwarts didn't go through with the Sorting after they had been doing it for hundreds of years, but Alex had been hoping that just this once, they'd throw the whole thing out of the window.

She drowned out the rest of McGonagall's speech in light of a newfound sense of dread washing over her. Her eyes desperately peered over the heads of her soon-to-be classmates. There had to be an exit somewhere. She would take it, get in contact with her parents and somehow plead with them to take her back home.

"I don't wanna be a Hufflepuff. I don't wanna be a Hufflepuff!"

"You won't have to worry about anything if you insist on interrupting me, miss. In the meantime, I would highly advise you to listen to what I have to say."

Professor McGonagall glared at her with all the sharpness of a sword. The ferocity of her voice wasn't far off. Alex shuttered and made a concerted effort to nod. No one bothered to laugh this time, a by-product of not wanting to be McGonagall's next victim.

"Good," said the Professor. "Where was I? Ah. The Sorting Ceremony.

"It will take place a few minutes from now in front of the rest of the school. I suggest you all smarten yourselves up as much as you can while you are waiting."

There was no doubt in Alex's mind she would end up being the first one called up in front of the school to be ridiculed. McGonagall's stern eyes scanned the crowd, and for a few moments, she lingered on Alex muttering things about teeth under her breath and Luna Lovegood humming a sweet tune as she played with the wand resting between her left ear.

"I shall return when we are ready for you. Please wait here quietly until then."

Professor McGonagall striding away didn't cheer Alex up as much as she hoped. In fact, her anxiousness tripled. The idea of making a desperate escape seemed less and less likely when she realized that even if she could get out of the castle, she had no clue how to get back home. She moaned, feeling she should have been paying more attention back on the Hogwarts Express.

She could hear others around her whispering about the yet to be determined manner in which Hogwarts would end up placing them in their houses. Some wondered if there would be a test of some sort. That was a very good question, one in which Alex had no answer for. It was frustrating. All her reading and books had done her little good. Hogwarts, for whatever reason, was keen on keeping the specifics of the Sorting a secret to new students.

"Damn," she croaked. "They're just having us wait here like this to make us even more nervous. It's torture."

"He's over there."

Alex put her hand over her mouth, saving herself from the embarrassment of having everyone in the room hear her shriek like a madwoman again. She wasn't sure where Luna Lovegood had come from or how she managed to work her way over to her from all the way across the chamber.

"Who are you talking about?" asked Alex reluctantly.

"Harry Potter," said Luna plainly. "He's over there."

Alex had just about forgotten The Boy Who Lived was supposed to be here. At once, she searched the part of the crowd Luna pointed to. And...there he was.

Shaggy, black hair.

Check.

Lightning scar on his forehead.

Check.

Green eyes.

Check.

Glasses that were in serious need of replacing?

Not exactly a check, but the first three were good enough for Alex, who began making her way through the dense body of students.

"Excuse me. Pardon me. Yes, thank you. Out of the way!"

"He could be a Nargle in disguise, so be careful."

Alex went ahead and ignored Luna. She was close enough to tap Harry Potter on the shoulder when she was interrupted by a most amazing event. Gasping alongside the people around her, Alex leered up at twenty or so ghosts flying into the room through the wall in the back. She patted herself down, desperately on the hunt for a camera or at least a piece of paper so she could write what was happening down. She had read all about ghosts in one of her books, yet, seeing them in person blew mere words out of the water. The poltergeists came in all sorts of shapes, sizes, and ages. They were as white as bed sheets and as thin and wispy as air. Alex could see right through the lot of them. One of them waved down to her, while she spotted another pair in the middle of a heated argument.

"This is incredible," she said breathlessly, finally finding a quill and parchment in the pockets of her robes. The idea of asking the ghosts if they had working teeth came to mind, though she made haste to shake the idea away on account of thinking of her father.

"They're so pretty," she heard Luna say.

"You're not kidding." Alex forgot to blink as the last of the apparitions phased through the front wall. "I wonder if..."

"Move along now. The Sorting Ceremony is about to begin. Now, form a line and follow me."

Professor McGonagall was back. And so was the reality of the situation for Alex. That brief moment of bliss when the ghosts arrived on the scene was nothing more than a bitter memory. Sighing, she got in line with the rest of the first years as Professor McGonagall instructed and marched.

"This must be what being in one of those Muggle armies feels like."

She spotted the distinct, black hair of Harry Potter further up in the line. Not that she would be able to talk to him with Professor McGonagall watching everyone like a hawk. Sighing again, Alex supposed she would simply have to wait for this madness to be over before trying to approach him again.

The walk to the Great Hall was a long one. Although anyone with a pair of working eyes would be able to tell that Hogwarts was expansive by looking at it from the outside, it was impossible for Alex to grasp just how much until trekking its corridors. She wasn't the sort that usually engaged in physical activity (of any kind), so as much as she didn't want to admit it, all this walking was leaving her out of breath.

"Are we to be expected to walk this much during our time here? Ridiculous. Can't we just ride broomsticks around school?"

"Of course not. Don't be silly. You've read all sorts of books on Hogwarts, right?"

Alex didn't notice Hermione Granger, the bossy girl she met back on the Hogwarts Express, was the one walking in front of her until the latter spoke.

"Then you should know better than anyone that first years aren't allowed to have broomsticks," Hermione went on, "so unless you want to be expelled..."

"I was only thinking out loud. Bugger off, you."

Hermione curled her lips though didn't retort, instead turning away. That suited Alex just fine. It seemed just her luck that she would bump into so many... _peculiar_  people her first day at Hogwarts.

"And then Father questions why I don't like leaving the house..."

McGonagall led her group through a final pair of double doors. A plethora of light hit Alex's face, causing her to shield her eyes. However, she quickly lowered her hand, along with her jaw, once seeing where she and everyone else was.

They didn't call it the 'Great' Hall for nothing.

The room was even bigger than her home. There was so much gold that it stung her eyes. Dinnerware and shimmering goblets stood on each of the four tables in the room, which were longer than any Alex had ever seen. Candles magically hovered over them, though the black ceiling flooding with stars would have been more than enough to illuminate the expansive room. There was no window on the ceiling. Rather, Alex quickly determined this was some sort of spell to mirror the night sky. The sight was even more thrilling than seeing all those ghosts.

"So this...is Hogwarts."

Color her impressed. All her father's stories and reading  _A History of Hogwarts_  didn't do the school justice. Frozen in awe, she got the immediate feeling of, "I never want to leave this place again." This would be her home for the next seven years, a fact that made her grin from ear to ear.

Although, that train of thought went up in smoke the moment she noticed more faces than she could count ogling her and the other first years. Were there seriously  _this_  many students here at Hogwarts? Their numbers were inflated even higher due to all the ghosts from before being in attendance. Alex gulped, shifting her trembling gaze to the floor. 

_Just don't let me go first. Don't let me go first._ _Please_ _don't let me go first!_

She heard something or another being set on the floor. It convinced her to open one of her eyes and take a peek at Professor McGonagall placing a stool at the head of the room. Sitting on it, curiously enough, was a hat. Alex felt one of her eyebrows go shooting up. A hat? And a badly damaged one at that. It was filthy and had all sorts of patches, evidence it had been sewn back together many,  _many_  times. What purpose it could serve or why McGonagall had bothered bringing it out, Alex couldn't even begin to speculate.

"Wait. They...don't expect us to  _wear_  that awful thing, do they?"

She shivered at the prospect. No way that was hygienic. The urge to raise her hand and figure out what the heck was going on swelled within her. Maybe she would have if it weren't for the hat  _moving_. Alex blinked, thinking her mind was playing tricks on her on account of all the stress.

Until...the hat moved again.

And again.

_And again._

"It's...alive?"

But why? Alex soon saw the hat wasn't only moving. A tear opened up close to the brim. It was a mouth. Just as Alex began processing this latest fact, the hat did something else completely unexpected.

It began to sing.

"Oh, you may not think I'm pretty

But don't judge on what you see,

I'll eat myself if you can find

A smarter hat than me.

You can keep your bowlers black,

Your top hats sleek and tall,

For I'm the Hogwarts Sorting Hat

And I can cap them all.

There's nothing hidden in your head

The Sorting Hat can't see,

So try me on and I will tell you

Where you ought to be.

You might belong in Gryffindor,

Where dwell the brave at heart,

Their daring, nerve, and chivalry

Set Gryffindors apart;

You might belong in Hufflepuff,

Where they are just and loyal,

Those patient Hufflepuffs are true

And unafraid of toil;

Or yet in wise old Ravenclaw,

If you've a ready mind,

Where those of wit and learning,

Will always find their kind;

Or perhaps in Slytherin

You'll make your real friends

Those cunning folk use any means

To achieve their ends.

So put me on! Don't be afraid!

And don't get in a flap!

You're in safe hands (though I have none)

For I'm a Thinking Cap!"

No sooner did this strange hat finish its performance did everyone in the hall begin clapping with everything they had. Alex, though utterly bewildered, joined in, watching the hat bow to each of the four tables.

"That...was actually quite brilliant. Bloody brilliant in fact!"

What would they come up with next? Singing toothpaste? Though more importantly, Alex realized that rather than having to do some sort of test (that she would hopelessly fail if it came to performing any actual magic), everyone simply had to wear the hat. That remained a rather revolting prospect, though she could deal with it if that was the worst humiliation she would have to suffer tonight.

_I still don't want to go first..._

Professor McGonagall, still looking quite fierce, strode in front of all the first years with a  _long_  roll of parchment in hand.

"When I call your name, you will put on the hat and sit on the stool to be sorted."

Here it was. Slamming her eyes shut, Alex crossed her fingers.

_Mandible! Canine! Molars!_

"Abbott, Hannah!"

Alex heard someone rush past her.

"Wait..." she opened her eyes again. "They're doing it by...alphabetical order?"

She laughed. A number of people shot her inquisitive glances, though she paid them no mind and laughed even harder.

"Of course. How else would they do it? I'm such an idiot."

'Worthington' would be all the way at the end of the list. Breathing a sigh of relief, Alex understood it would be quite a while before McGonagall got to her. She could take it easy and observe everyone else suffer instead.

"HUFFLEPUFF!" the hat suddenly declared.

The rightmost table erupted into hoots and hollers as Hannah scurried away to her new house. The sight ruined any thoughts Alex had of 'taking it easy.'

"...That stupid hat is going to sort me into Hufflepuff too!"

She covered her mouth, reminding her stomach to behave.

"Bones, Susan!"

"HUFFLEPUFF!"

"Boot, Terry!"

"RAVENCLAW!"

"Brocklehurst, Mandy!" 

"RAVENCLAW!"

Alex didn't realize there were so many new students admitted into Hogwarts until now.

"Finch-Fletchley, Justin!"

"HUFFLEPUFF!"

"Another Hufflepuff," she groaned. "Sure are a lot of them."

"Granger, Hermione!"

The know-it-all Hermione was next to be sorted. Alex heard the hat shout, "GRYFFINDOR!" in due time. She then heard someone still in the crowd at the front groan, though she could pinpoint who. 

The wait for her name to be called was far more unbearable than she assumed. As McGonagall got further and further down the list, more and more people found their home at Hogwarts. The crowd around Alex thinned as well. At this rate, she would end up being one of the last ones Sorted. She might as well have gone first if that was going to be the case. Shaking like a leaf, she heard the hat proclaim, "RAVENCLAW!" when it was Luna Lovegood's turn. The girl shifted her head as if bewildered by the decision before shrugging and making her way to the cheering Ravenclaw table.

" _She's_  a Ravenclaw? Aren't they supposed to be smart?"

Honestly, Alex had no clue how the hat was making its decisions. It certainly didn't look to be saying anything. Nor were the individuals sitting on the stool. Was there some sort of trick she was missing?

"This is so stupid," she nervously mumbled. Biting her fingernails wasn't doing much to allay her fears, unfortunately.

"SLYTHERIN!"

Alex's head shot up. The Sorting Hat hardly even touched Draco Malfoy's head when it made its decision. She smacked her lips, watching an incredibly pleased Malfoy make his way over to his henchmen Crabbe and Goyle, already at the Slytherin table.

"Good for him," she said bitterly. Only Draco Malfoy could be thrilled with being put into the scummiest house in Hogwarts. On the other hand, he didn't have to stand in front of anyone anymore. Alex would give anything for that luxury.

More and more people were Sorted and able to flee to the safety of their respective house table. Alex, unable to stand still, was beginning to wish her last name was 'Aorthington', even if that didn't make a lick of sense.

"Why does the school do this anyway?" she asked herself, anything to distract her frantic thoughts. "Wouldn't it be better to just Sort everyone in private? Yeah, I should put that in the suggestion box if they have one of those. Isn't that a  _way_  better idea? Why doesn't anyone else see that? I mean..."

She shut up, realizing Professor McGonagall was glaring a hole into her.

"Potter, Harry!"

Here was the moment those in the Great Hall had been waiting for. Harry Potter stepped front and center. Everyone, including some still waiting at the front, broke out into frantic whispering. Others inched their heads forward to get a better look at the boy. Looking around, Alex couldn't blame them.  _The_  Harry Potter was about to begin his no doubt illustrious career at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Whatever house he ended up in, everyone still left to be Sorted would no doubt want to follow. Or, maybe the Sorting Hat wouldn't find a spot for him at all. After all, what was one supposed to do with the boy who defeated the Dark Lord? Alex felt he was above her and just about everyone else present. Indeed, as Potter put on the Sorting Hat, it seemed to take the longest of times deciding on how to handle such a unique case. The entire Great Hall became utterly devoid of noise. Alex held her breath. She was almost hoping the Sorting Hat would say Hufflepuff. If  _the_  Harry Potter was in Hufflepuff, her being in it too wouldn't be so bad. Yes. You could almost say at that point that it was a badge of honor.

"GRYFFINDOR!"

So much for that. Alex's cheery expression dropped like a rock, whereas the Gryffindor table exploded with the loudest cheers of the evening.

"We got Potter! We got Potter!" happily proclaimed a pair of red-headed twins.

"Lucky you," grumbled Alex. "Harry Potter in Hufflepuff was too much to expect, huh?"

It was time to latch onto Plan B. Not that she  _had_  a Plan B.

"It's fine," she assured herself. "I have plenty of time. They're only on P. W is..."

"Worthington, Alexandra!"

Alex's entire being became as rigid as a statue. It was impossible. She stared at Professor McGonagall with pleading eyes. Surely, there must have been some sort of mistake.

"Well, Miss Worthington?" said the Professor testily. "Everyone is waiting."

In her state of panic, Alex hadn't noticed all the students before her had already been Sorted. In fact, there was only one boy waiting his turn behind her, and judging from the way he was scowling, he hoped she would hurry up already. Her feet moved for her, stumbling toward the stool. She didn't have to glance at the huge crowd to know all eyes were firmly glued to her. Despite her family's status, her name didn't arouse much of a reaction. Certainly nothing compared to Harry Potter's. Not that Alex was complaining.

_Gonna puke. Gonna puke. I'm gonna puke!_

Alex swallowed over and over again in order to repeat such a fate. She wasn't sure when or how, but not only did she manage to sit down, the Sorting Hat had been put over her head. Either it could grow in size at will or it was too big for her. Regardless, it slid right over her eyes, which worked out nicely. Now, she couldn't see everyone silently judging her. But...now what? She waited while her chattering knees slammed into one another. She presumed the hat would sort her on the spot like it did a lot of other kids. Instead, she was met with an unsettling silence.

"Nervous, are we?" she heard a quiet but somewhat mocking voice say. She gasped, at first thinking one of the teachers had come over to scold her. It was only moments later that she understood it to be the Sorting Hat. "Very good. Quite astute, aren't you?"

The odds were at least in her favor. There were four houses, meaning there was a three out of four chance she wouldn't end up in Hufflepuff.

"Not Hufflepuff?" she heard the hat say. "Are you sure? You have a number of qualities that would make you well suited for that house. And despite what you may believe, many Hufflepuffs have gone on to do great, great things."

_No, you dumb hat! Not Hufflepuff!_ _Anything_ _but Hufflepuff!_

Alex had no clue if the hat could actually read her thoughts. She bit down on her bottom lip and began strategizing for the possibility of her being stuck as a Hufflepuff for seven years. It would be embarrassing beyond, belief, but...

"You're already planning ahead? Interesting. Very interesting. You seem to have a keen mind, even under duress. Yes, I sense a thirst for knowledge from you as well."

_More like a thirst to get off this bloody stool already!_

She couldn't take much more of this. Her heart was liable to burst out of her chest.

"Very well. I suppose if not Hufflepuff, then I'll just have to stick you in...RAVENCLAW!"

The hat shouted that last part for everyone in the Great Hall to hear. Alex felt it being lifted off of her, though she didn't dare open her eyes, not until figuring out what just happened. Frenzied shouting came from the direction where she remembered the Ravenclaw table was.

And that's when it hit her.

"I'm...a Ravenclaw?"

Not a Hufflepuff.

"I'm a Ravenclaw!"

And  _not_  a Hufflepuff.

"I'M A RAVENCLAW!"

She stood, throwing her hands in the air triumphantly, and then made her way to her new Ravenclaw compatriots. They were ready and willing to have her join their ranks. A number of them cheerily slapped her on the back or shook her hand.

"You're a Worthington, right? Good to have you!"

"Isn't your father the loon who won't stop talking about teeth?"

"Worthington! You'll see this is the best house in Hogwarts in due time!"

Dazed and confused, the most Alex could do was nod or give a weak thank you. Someone guided her to a free seat. All the while, she let the reality of the situation sink in some more. It wasn't Gryffindor, sure, and she wouldn't be in the same house as the great Harry Potter, but...was Ravenclaw so bad? Honestly, she hadn't even given the house much thought before now, but it  _had_  to be a step up from Hufflepuff and even Slytherin.

"Congratulations," a wispy voice next to her said. Alex turned to her right to find Luna Lovegood clapping. "I'm sorry, but I don't have any presents for you."

"That's...quite alright."

Alex doubted any present from Luna would be either usable or wanted.

"How lovely. Now that we're in the same House, you can help me search the school for Crumple-Horned Snorkacks. They must be hiding around here somewhere."

Alex opened her mouth to protest. Nothing came out, however. If she was going to be here at Hogwarts for seven years, she would simply have to learn to live with 'Loony' Lovegood.

Somehow.

"Oh dear," said Luna with a slight frown. "I believe I've gone and left my Spectrespecs at home. Now how will I be able to see Wrackspurts? They're  _very_  dangerous, you know."

"..."

_I won't last even a week._

The last student, a Blaise Zabini, was made a Slytherin. That meant that this whole, irritating business of the Sorting Ceremony was finally over. Alex sighed in relief. She could even feel her appetite returning.  The good thing was she would never have to be put under so much pressure again. From here on out, she could simply watch incoming first years squirm from the comfort of the Ravenclaw table. 

"For their sakes, maybe I really  _should_  find that suggestion box..."

At the far end of the High Table sat Hagrid, the giant of a man that nearly killed her on the way here. He seemed to be enjoying himself, drinking merrily and eating with the rest of what Alex assumed was Hogwarts' faculty. He really hadn't been kidding about being Hogwarts' gamekeeper from the looks of it. She happened to catch his eye, and he gave her a thumbs up. Reluctantly, she waved back. 

"Oh, great. He's memorized my face. He'll eat me in my sleep for sure..."

"You like talking to yourself, don't you?" mused Luna.

"Oh, be quiet, you."

More importantly was the man sitting at the center. He rose from his golden chair, giving everyone in the Great Hall a full glimpse of him.

"Albus Dumbledore."

Anyone claiming not to know who this man was would either be a Muggle or a wizard/witch with their head buried in the world's deepest hole. Alex had read all about him in numerous books. In fact, it was hard to find one where he wasn't spoken about at least briefly. And now Dumbledore was here in the same room as her. It was surreal. Alex wasn't sure whether to ask for his autograph or ask him to pose for a picture. Perhaps she would do both.

"He seems like he's in a good mood," she noted due to Dumbledore smiling blissfully. The hall grew quiet again once everyone noticed the Headmaster desired to say a few words.

"Welcome," he proclaimed. "Welcome to a brand new year at Hogwarts! Before we begin our lovely feast here, I would just like to impart on you a few words."

With haste, Alex retrieved her quill and paper. A live speech from Albus Dumbledore? That was about as good as a thousand of his signatures or photographs. 

"And...here they are: Nitwit! Blubber! Oddment! Tweak!"

Alex's pen and paper slipped out of her fingertips.

"Thank you!" said Dumbledore with a final wave. He retook his seat, leading everyone to give him a roaring round of applause. Just not Alex. Instead, her mouth was agape.

"...What kind of rubbish was that?" she uttered blankly.

"Yes, he's a bit strange, isn't he?" said Luna, reading her issue of  _The Quibbler_  upside-down like usual rather than clapping alongside the others. "He's quite nice though. Daddy speaks quite highly of him, even if he doesn't believe in Dabberblimps."

"I-Is that so?"

More and more, Alex felt her prior, glorious image of Hogwarts being shattered into miserable, little pieces.

She figured since she wasn't doing anything better, she may as well eat. Her stomach might have still been gurgling from all the junk food and her near-death experience on the lake, yet, she thought it a shame to waste good food. And there  _was_  good food, more of it than she had ever seen in her life. Her mother was certainly a good cook, but it would take her months to come up with the platter spanning the entirety of the Ravenclaw table. Alex wasn't sure what to grab first. The chicken looked amazing, but she was always a sucker for some Yorkshire pudding. On the other hand, she debated on going heavy on the sausages. Her fingers danced over her plate. All the pressure from the Sorting Ceremony was almost worth it if it meant she could stuff her face.

While she did so, she couldn't help but glance over her shoulder at the Gryffindor table, which was by far the loudest of the four.

"Can't we eat in peace over here?" she complained. Harry Potter or no Harry Potter, did they really have to be so obnoxious? She was pleased to see that the Ravenclaws, while chatting as well, were doing so in a more calm and collected fashion. "They could learn a thing or two from..."

"You. Rich Girl. Pass the salt."

It took a while for Alex to process those words.

"Hey, Rich Girl! You hear me?" said the same abrasive voice. "Pass the salt!"

Never in her life could Alex recall being referred to as 'Rich Girl.' It was a moniker she could already say she wasn't fond of, however.

"Excuse me?" she said hotly, narrowing her eyelids.

"Oh, I'm sorry," the frowning boy to her left replied. "Did I not beg hard enough? Forgive me, your highness. Now, pass the damn salt already!"

Even her own mother and father had never yelled at her like this. Alex was left lost for words. With a nod, she handed over the salt in question, flinching when it was snatched out of her grasp. Getting a 'thank you' was likely a stretch, so she didn't bother asking for one. 

"That wasn't very nice. You should apologize."

Just when Alex thought the heated situation was over and done with, Luna had to go and open her big, fat mouth. Choking on her mashed potatoes, Alex caught her breath and then frantically waved in Luna's direction, hoping she would catch the hint to shut up. 

"You wanna repeat that?" the irate boy snarled.

"I said," replied Luna, unabashed, "that you should apologize. If you want something from the table, you should ask nicely. Were you raised by trolls?"

Alex waved her arms even harder. Unfortunately, neither the growling boy or Luna seemed to notice. 

"You want me to apologize?"

The black-haired boy suddenly stood. Alex really wished he hadn't because she finally saw how tall he was. He was no Hagrid, but considering Alex was barely five feet in shoes, he might as well have been.  She considered him good looking, though the heavy lines at the sides of his mouth told her 'frowning' was his default expression.

"You two got a lot of nerve for a couple of first years! Hell, you just barely finished being sorted!"

"You two?" Alex threw her hands up in exasperation. Enough playing the quiet, obedient girl. "Excuse me?! I gave you the stupid salt like you asked! Leave me out of this!"

Her anger got the better of her. Before she knew it, she too was on her feet. She glared up at the object of her ire, who closed in on her.

"I don't need a wand to take care of a rich snob like you!" he barked.

By now, most of the Ravenclaws at the table realized what was going on and couldn't help but turn away from their meals to watch on. "Leave 'em alone, Tristan," someone shouted from the crowd. 'Tristan' ignored this, raising his fist. It didn't take much imagination to figure out what he was planning. Alex put a hand on the wand in her pocket. She would no doubt get in serious trouble for using magic on her first day, though she hoped the school would be lenient on her on account of her defending herself. Besides, she had a nice hex she learned from one of her books that she was itching to try out.

"Thorne! What do you think you're doing?!"

A short, little wizard came marching onto the scene. Alex at first confused him for a child, but no kid could have such a thick, white beard and wrinkled face. The latter reminded Alex of a prune. 

"Professor Flitwick," Tristan, looking as if he had seen a ghost, quickly lowered his arm. "I-I...nothing, sir."

He sat back down as if nothing whatsoever was amiss. Alex couldn't believe it. She gasped, feeling she and Luna were at least owed apologies. 

_I should hex him after all! Jerk!_

"I'm sorry about that girls," said Professor Flitwick. His voice was about as tiny as him. Alex was sure a mouse had more presence speaking-wise. "Thorne is...well...he's a bit of a special case.

"But, forgive me. I haven't introduced myself. My name is Filius Flitwick. I'm not only the Charms teacher, but I'm your Head of house here in Ravenclaw. Let me personally welcome you both to this most wondrous house!"

'Wondrous' wasn't the first word that came to Alex when thinking of Ravenclaw, but she didn't voice this opinion out loud.

"I'm expecting great things from you, ladies. Oh, and don't worry about Throne. He shouldn't bother you anymore."

Alex certainly hoped so. With that, Professor Flitwick went on his merry way. 

"Safe," chimed Alex, wiping the sweat from her forehead. "Unlike Professor McGonagall, I think I like him."

"Are you alright?" Luna asked.

"Yes...uh..." Alex caught a glimpse of Tristan out of the corner of her eye. She was happy to see him paying her no mind and simply eating like a good little boy. "I'm fine. Thank you. Er...can I ask you something, Luna?"

"Of course. As long as it isn't about the Rotfang Conspiracy. Daddy says I shouldn't reveal the details of that just yet."

"The Rotfang...? Nevermind. Anyway, why did you help me out back there? That guy would've killed both of us if Professor Flitwick hadn't come when he did."

Luna raised an eyebrow. "It just seemed the right thing to do."

That was it? Pausing, Alex wasn't sure what to say.

"Besides," continued Luna dreamily, "if I were attacked by Nargles, I know you would come to my aid."

"I...sure would."

That might have been a stretch. Nevertheless, Alex had a newfound respect for 'Loony' Lovegood. She still thought the girl crazy like a fox, yet...maybe there was more to her. 

"Thank you."

Luna warmly smiled before turning back to her meal, leading Alex to do the same. Though she wasn't sure why, she felt a lot better.

**#**

Alex got plenty to eat before everything was said and done, but a peaceful dinner eluded her. After her unpleasant meeting with Tristan Thorne, Professor Dumbledore led the Great Hall in singing the school song. Alex didn't know the lyrics, so she didn't bother joining in. Not that she would have allowed herself to be apart of such a mortifying spectacle even if she did. The whole thing had come out of nowhere and further led her to believe that Albus Dumbledore had more than a couple of screws loose. 

Worrying about the Headmaster could come later though. Yawning, Alex rubbed her droopy eyelids, pining for her pillow and bed. The feast had taken its toll on her and just about everyone else. There wasn't much talking as she and the rest of the first year Ravenclaws followed after Robert Hillard, a Prefect. He was in the midst of boring everyone to tears with a speech Alex could tell he had long been preparing. Alex yawned again and blocked most of it out. It was giving her a headache.

"Without wishing to boast," said Robert. Alex got the feeling that boasting was  _exactly_ what he had in mind, "this is the house where the cleverest witches and wizards live. Our founder, Rowena Ravenclaw, prized learning above all else – and so do we. Unlike the other houses, who all have concealed entrances to their common rooms, we don't need one. The door to our common room lies at the top of a tall, winding staircase. It has no handle, but an enchanted bronze knocker in the shape of an eagle. When you rap on the door, this knocker will ask you a question, and if you can answer it correctly, you are allowed in. This simple barrier has kept out everyone but Ravenclaws for nearly a thousand years.

"Some first-years are scared by having to answer the eagle's questions, but don't worry. Ravenclaws learn quickly, and you'll soon enjoy the challenges the door sets. It's not unusual to find twenty people standing outside the common room door, all trying to work out the answer to the day's question together. This is a great way to meet fellow Ravenclaws from other years, and to learn from them – although it is a bit annoying if you've forgotten your Quidditch robes and need to get in and out in a hurry. In fact, I'd advise you to triple-check your bag for everything you need before leaving Ravenclaw Tower."

Meeting other people, huh? Alex found herself reminded of her father. He instructed her to make as many friends as possible during her time at Hogwarts. That wasn't really her forte, but she would without a doubt try. Having to stand outside the common room answering some silly question, however, sounded far more annoying.

"The Gryffindors are OK," she heard Robert Hillard say, having missed whatever he mentioned beforehand. Fortunately, Robert hadn't noticed almost no one was paying him any mind. "If I had a criticism, I'd say Gryffindors tend to be show-offs."

No kidding. Alex had seen that firsthand.

"They're also much less tolerant than we are of people who are different; in fact, they've been known to make jokes about Ravenclaws who have developed an interest in levitation, or the possible magical uses of troll bogies, or ovomancy, which (as you probably know) is a method of divination using eggs."

Alex actually didn't know that but made a mental note to remember it in case it came up on one of her future tests.

"Gryffindors haven't got our intellectual curiosity, whereas we've got no problem if you want to spend your days and nights cracking eggs in a corner of the common room and writing down your predictions according to the way the yolks fall. In fact, you'll probably find a few people to help you."

A few first years snickered. Robert curled his lips. His words hadn't been meant as a joke.

"Erm...yes," he said, clearing his throat and attempting to return to the air of authority he had previously. "As for the Hufflepuffs, well, nobody could say they're not nice people. In fact, they're some of the nicest people in the school. Let's just say you needn't worry too much about them when it comes to competition at exam time."

Again, a number of people chuckled. Alex joined in, not at all shocked to hear her fears of Hufflepuff being verified. She really had dodged a bullet.

"I think that's nearly everything. Oh yes, our house ghost is the Grey Lady. The rest of the school thinks she never speaks, but she'll talk to Ravenclaws. She's particularly useful if you're lost, or you've mislaid something. 

"While  _she's_  fine, there's another ghost I'd highly advise you all to watch out for. He..."

High-pitched cackling echoed through the staircase just then, alongside a cold burst of air. A number of students screamed and braced themselves as something or another came rushing at them.

"Are you talking about little, old me? Oh, you shouldn't have!"

Robert growled. "Peeves!"

All the Ravenclaws glanced up to see a perturbing man with the blackest eyes they had ever seen. Alex found the way he continued to laugh as he stood upside-down disturbing. 

"More firsties!" said Peeves happily. "Who shall I play with this time?"

"Begone, Peeves!" boomed Robert. Alex had to admit he really did sound rather authoritative at times. "We don't have time for your nonsense this evening!"

Peeves laughed again and made a foul noise that either came from his mouth or his behind. Alex, grimacing, didn't desire to guess as to which. What was he? Unlike the other ghosts she saw earlier, this Peeves looked to be as solid as her. Solid people though didn't float in midair or wear such ridiculous clothing. Peeves must have noticed her staring so hard. He flew over to her all of a sudden and planted his face right in front of hers, making her shriek. 

"GOT YOUR CONK!" he declared, grabbing her nose. Alex screamed again, much to Peeves' delight. Being touched by a ghost was an experience she quite disliked. It reminded her of being dunked into an ice-cold river.

"Get away from her, Peeves!" ordered Robert. "Don't make me get the Bloody Baron!"

Those words were enough to convince Peeves to back away from his victim. Blowing a raspberry, he disappeared behind a loud pop.

"Are you alright?" Robert asked Alex, helping her off the floor. "Sorry about that. Peeves is...well...Peeves is  _trouble_. I would advise all of you to avoid him if at all possible. And whatever you do,  _don't_  antagonize him. You'll only make his antics worse. He can be very dangerous."

Alex, rubbing her frigid nose, felt it was far too late for warnings.

"Now then, where was I?" mused Robert. "Ah! Yes.  Our dormitories are in turrets off the..."

With the excitement of another poltergeist showing up having passed, the first years went back to ignoring him. Alex glanced over her shoulder, assured Peeves would come back to mess with her some more. Fortunately, there was no one there. She didn't care how hard it was to get into the Ravenclaw common room as long as it was strictly a no poltergeist zone.

"I don't know the bloody answer! Just let me through already!"

Robert stopped talking. Meanwhile, the Ravenclaws in his wake began to fearfully whisper about the irate voice in the distance.

"Is...that another ghost?" wondered Alex.

"What's going on down there?" said Robert. At the very end of the staircase stood an aged, wooden door with a bronze, eagle-shaped knocker. And pouting in front of it was none other than Tristan Thorne. 

"I already said I'm not answering any more riddles!" he roared. It was a strange sight watching him screech at the door. Alex wondered if he had perhaps lost his mind.

That was until the eagle's beak opened and it said in a sing-song voice, "What has a heart but no other type of organs?"

"I don't know, alright!" said Tristan, going red in the face. "I already said I'm not answering any more of your...!"

"A deck of cards."

Tristan turned back to Alex with his eyes widening like saucers. He hadn't noticed the large crowd behind him in his fit of rage.

"A deck of cards," she continued, "only has hearts."

"Well reasoned," said the knocker, and the wood door swung open.

"Very good, Worthington!" said an absolutely floored Robert, clapping. "I must admit that even I was a bit stumped after hearing that one."

A number of first years complimented Alex on her wits, prompting her to blush. The answer seemed rather obvious to her, so she wasn't sure how to react to such praise. The only person clearly not pleased was Tristan, who grew an even darker shade of red. 

"Congratulations, princess. There's something else you can brag about."

Alex winced. What had she done to get on his bad side? Tristan didn't bother to explain. He shook his head and began to march his way into the common room.

"Not so fast, Thorne!" shouted Robert. "And what exactly were you doing outside the common room to begin with? You should've been back with all the other third years!"

Tristan halted in his tracks but said nothing. 

"Answer me, Thorne!"

"Just because you're some snobby Prefect now, Hilliard,  _doesn't_ mean you get to tell me what to do! Have a go at me again and see what happens!"

"Where are you going, Thorne?! I'm still talking to you! Thorne!"

The common room door slammed behind Tristan. Robert, thoroughly incensed, snarled under his breath.

"That troublemaker," he muttered before turning back to the first years. "I apologize for that. That's Tristan Thorne, and he might be even more a troublemaker than Peeves if you can believe that. Avoid him if you don't want a black eye. I swear, I don't know why a thug like him isn't in Slytherin."

Robert kept on mumbling, but in a quieter voice that Alex figured meant he was talking to himself now. Everyone in the crowd spoke openly now. Alex, meanwhile, hoped her second encounter with Tristan Thorne would be her last. He had a foul temper and seemed to despise her in particular. She might have been able to answer the eagle's riddle, but the reason for Tristan disliking her was a complete mystery.

"Rats," said Robert. "We should've gone in when Thorne did. I bet the riddle is different now. That happens sometimes, I'm afraid. Nasty little surprise when it does."

Everyone groaned. All they desired was to simply go to sleep already. 

**#**

After spending a good fifteen minutes attempting to figure out the new riddle (the answer didn't immediately come to Alex this time, unfortunately), the weary first years and their Prefect guide found themselves in the Ravenclaw common room at last. The room, draped in blue and gold silk, had arched windows that gave everyone a full view of the starry night sky. Besides plenty of (mostly occupied) tables and chairs, there was also a huge bookcase in the back. A white statue stood nearby it, one Alex was sure was supposed to be Rowena Ravenclaw. As nice as it was, the many volumes of literature tickled her fancy much more. Robert stopped her from dashing over to the bookcase by directing all the girls up the staircase to their dormitory. As annoyed as she was by this, she could admit she was a bit too exhausted to do any reading tonight.

_First thing tomorrow morning._

Alex found her things sitting by what she presumed was her bed. Blue curtains hung in front of it, and she pulled them back to reveal a very warm and comfy-looking bed. Without thinking, she allowed herself to fall face first onto it. She sighed contently. It was even softer than she imagined. She would have no difficulties falling asleep tonight. 

"You should at least put your pajamas on first, shouldn't you?"

Alex's eyes shot back open, and she sat up. Smiling from the bed across from hers was Luna Lovegood. 

"No," she breathed, thinking her tired mind was playing tricks on her. "What are  _you_  doing here?!"

Luna turned her head, confused at the question. "If I remember correctly, I was sorted into Ravenclaw."

Alex groaned. "I  _know_  that! What are you doing sleeping across from me?"

"My things were here. Unless I'm mistaken again, that would make this my bed. Or, are you saying all that because I'm here a year early?"

The abrupt change in subject made Alex blink. "Wait, you're here a year early?"

"Oh, yes," said Luna, taking a seat on her bed. "Daddy says I'm very smart and enrolled me this year instead of next. That's rather uncommon, but Dumbledore made an exception. You know, because of how important Daddy is for uncovering the Rotfang conspiracy."

Alex highly doubted that was the reason, though she kept her mouth shut and just nodded. This development had to mean Luna Lovegood was brighter than her loony rambling would lead one to believe. 

"Well, good night," said Luna.

"Good night," replied Alex with a yawn.

"Don't let the Umgubular Slashkilters bite."

"What are Umgubular Slashkilters?"

"Horrible, little creatures that burrow into your nose at night. They're sort of like Wrackspurts. Cornelius Fudge has one."

"Does he now?"

Alex paused to allow Luna to explain. Instead, she heard soft snoring. Upon looking over to Luna's bed, she saw the girl was already fast asleep. With a smile, she turned over in her bed with the intent of doing the same. It had been a hectic first day at Hogwarts, and it would only get crazier from here on out. Alex closed her eyes, hoping she would be ready for what tomorrow brought.

"I think I've made a friend, Father," she said tiredly to no one in particular. "She's...weird. Kind of like me."

**END**


	3. A LIVING LEGEND

Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry was a big place. Alex found that out the hard way with each passing day. Her idea of flying a broomstick around school didn't sound so absurd now. Reading in  _A History of Hogwarts_  that the school had one hundred and forty-two staircases wasn't the same as having to traverse them. They were brutal. It didn't help that almost none of them led to the same place no matter if you went up and down them the same way as before. Hogwarts was as magical as the classes it taught. The 'appeal' of running into a wall she assumed was a door had long since run dry for Alex. If it wasn't for the Grey Lady, Ravenclaw's ghost, giving out instructions to clueless first years like her, she would never make it to class on time. Rather than books, she felt Hogwarts should have told incoming students to buy a map. 

"So, Potions is in the dungeon, right? That's downstairs?"

The Grey Lady nodded. Getting the correct directions for once was nice. Alex had been foolish enough to ask Peeves, another ghost, first. In her defense, he found her, not the other way around, to play another prank on her. She really should have known something was wrong when instead of doing so, he politely directed her further up the castle. She got the surprise of her life when rather than Potions class, she found herself knee deep in the Owlery. Having so many owls squawk at her, upset she had disturbed their slumber, was quite the experience. Her robes were still mostly covered in feathers. 

"A word of caution, my dear: I wouldn't consult Peeves anymore," The Grey Lady said in a serene voice. Alex rather liked her, unlike some of the other ghosts at Hogwarts (Peeves' cackling visage came to mind again). The Ravenclaw apparition was very pretty (for a dead person), friendly and unlike her, actually knowledgeable about Hogwarts many,  _many_  hallways and secret passages.

"I won't. You don't have to worry about that. Thank you."

The Grey Lady gave her a thin smile. "Very good. And about that book..."

"I'm reading it. It's very fascinating. Thank you for loaning it to me."

The Grey Lady bowed before gliding away. She was a woman of few words, but when she did speak, most tended to pay attention. 

"Oh, hell! What am I doing?!"

Alex had already been running late for Potions even before coincidentally bumping into the Grey Lady. Moving as fast as her skinny legs would carry her, she made a beeline for the dungeon. There was barely anyone left in the halls, meaning she was seriously running behind schedule. If Filch and that pesky cat of his, Mrs. Norris, caught her now...

"This place is starting to get on my nerves!"

Five days had gone by since Alex started her schooling at Hogwarts. Navigating the innumerable corridors was difficult, yet, not as much as her classes. She feared before coming to school that she wouldn't be any good at performing magic, and she soon learned she wasn't wrong.

Her Transfiguration class was taught by none other than Professor Minerva McGonagall. Alex was no less terrified of her now than she had been on her first day. McGonagall was strict, which wasn't helped by Alex being absolutely miserable when it came to transfiguring anything. Turning a match into a needle was a harder business than she imagined. Fortunately, no one else in her class could do it either. Luna Lovegood came the closest, but even hers was some weird needle/match hybrid that would sometimes ignite of its own accord. 

"I think I'll keep it," Luna said after class was over. "It's cute."

Alex didn't bother asking how so.

She was a little better at Charms. For one, it was a lot easier since there was far less to remember. Plus, it was taught by Professor Flitwick, who was by far the most patient man Alex had ever known. Even when she screwed up, he was more than willing to show her the proper way to wave her wand around as many times as needed. Like the Grey Lady, Alex quite liked Flitwick and was glad he was Ravenclaw's Head of house and  _not_  McGonagall. 

"Remember, it's Wingardium Levi-OH-sah, not Levi-AH-sah. Common mistake," he told her last Tuesday after she couldn't for the life of her get the feather he asked her and the rest of the class to levitate well...levitating. Again, though no one in her class could do it on the first day, Luna came the closest. Alex wasn't sure whether to be annoyed or impressed that someone as nutty as Luna Lovegood was such a fast learner. 

Herbology wasn't too bad. Though Alex hated going out to the greenhouse and dealing with so many revolting plants, she found Professor Sprout both kind and knowledgeable. Even so, she could already say that a career taking care of and growing plants wasn't in the cards for her. She already had enough of Bouncing Bulbs slapping her on the face.

There was one class, however, where she excelled. Ironically, it was one that many at Hogwarts thought the most boring: History of Magic.  _Finally_ , all of Alex's reading before coming to school was paying off. She could answer just about every question Professor Binns, the ghost that taught the class, asked before he even finished asking it. As such, she already had the best grades in her class. History of Magic might have been utterly dull, but she was still in a room of highly competitive Ravenclaws. Losing out to her irritated most of her peers to no end. One girl even went as far as to tell Alex she would 'crush her' during the next test. 

Whatever that meant.

"So, Emetic the Evil..."

"...was one of the owners of the Elder Wand, sir," said Alex, raising her hand and speaking before Professor Binns could call on her. "He was also killed in a duel by Egbert the Egregious."

"Oh, yes," said Professor Binns in his usual, dry tone. "Very good, Miss Weatherspoon."

"Um...Worthington, sir."

"Of course. Of course. Forgive me, Miss Weatherby. I'm getting on in years. My mind isn't what it used to be, my dear."

And neither was his body, which Alex could see right through. It seemed Professor Binns didn't notice he was actually dead. On the other hand, how would one fire a ghost? If Hogwarts could do that, Peeves would have been long gone already.

Unlike a lot of other students, Alex had relatively little interest in Defense Against the Dark Arts. It was taught by Professor Quirinius Quirrell, a pitiful, nervous wreck of a man in Alex's opinion. There wasn't as much wand waving in the beginning like she expected. Instead, Quirrell would often get too shaken up recalling the dangerous encounters of his past and cut the lesson short, allowing his class to talk amongst themselves. It basically became a free period. Alex felt a little sorry for him. He must have been through something awfully traumatic to be so twitchy. Even so, she wasn't going to attempt to cheer him up since his class was almost as easy as Professor Binns'. 

That just left Potions, the only class she hadn't attended yet. It would be during second period that Friday, and she earlier discovered that her class would be learning alongside one of the other Houses. 

_Maybe it'll be Gryffindor! And that means..._

Harry Potter. 

Either he was ducking her or she simply had very poor luck. Whatever the case, Alex hadn't managed to find hide nor hair of him since the Sorting Ceremony. They were in different houses, sure, but she didn't think that meant they would never run into one another. She  _had_  bumped into plenty of other Gryffindors, so certainly, she would eventually stumble upon Potter, right? Maybe today was the day. She sped up, quite looking forward to Potions now. 

...Until she reached the dungeon where the lesson was. At first, she wasn't sure she was even in the right place. The room felt too dark, eerily dark, to be a place of learning. She changed her mind when dozens of eyes turned to her as she shut the heavy, stone door behind her. They were other students, some looking as sheepish as her. The classroom was frigid, enough to make her rub her arms. Perhaps it had something to do with all the pickled animals and other unrecognizable objects floating in glass jars along the walls. They were beyond creepy. Slowly, Alex made her way inside the room, narrowing her eyes at the light from the dim candles, which bathed the room in pale light. 

"You must be lost. Do you have some reason for interrupting my lecture?"

The voice that spoke to her made her stop in her tracks. It was about as frosty as the temperature. Alex slowly looked up at the man standing at the head of the room. His trembling lips, curled into a wicked frown, made it clear he was upset. At once, Alex found an empty seat, one that happened to be beside Luna Lovegood.

"What took you?" whispered Luna. "I don't believe now is the time to be looking for Crumple-Horned Snorkacks."

Alex didn't dignify that with a response. Instead, she kept her amber eyes glued to the tall, sallow-skinned man burning a hole into her with his beady, black ones. His hair was the same color, and quite greasy if Alex had anything to say about it. Without ever seeing or even speaking to this man before, she could already say that she did not like him very much.

"You didn't answer me," the teacher said in an even more scathing voice. The classroom was dead quiet save for the quivering of the burning candles. "By sitting there, are you suggesting you're one of my students? Because I've already done roll call, and you didn't answer."

"Because I...wasn't here, sir. How could I have...?"

Alex stopped. Her instincts told her she was crossing a line and that she would dearly regret it. The teacher glared at her even harder, as if striving to kill her with looks alone, before moving over to his desk and retrieving a book. Alex figured it must have been the attendance sheet. The man slowly made his way down the list of names in front of him.

"Worthington," he said, leering back up at Alex. "Alexandra Worthington. Is that you?"

Not having the nerve to speak again, Alex settled on nodding. 

"And you're a Ravenclaw, correct? A first year?"

Again, Alex nodded.

"And do you have some reason for being twenty minutes late to my class? Perhaps, being a Worthington, you consider yourself above the rules, but showing up to my lessons whenever you feel like it will not do."

Alex, shrinking even further into her seat, didn't bother to respond in any way this time on account of being scared witless.

"Your Head of house will hear about this. For the time being that's five points from Ravenclaw."

While no one in her class said anything, Alex could feel the mood in the room shift. She also noticed a number of people scowling at her out of the corner of her eye. The situation was frustrating, sure, but she only had herself to blame for losing Ravenclaw points in the House Cup.

And maybe Peeves.

"That's Professor Severus Snape," whispered Luna. She was one of the few who didn't look as if she was itching to tear Alex limb from limb. "Best not to get on his bad side."

"Too late for that, I think," voiced Alex, clenching her teeth.

"Now then," said Professor Snape, returning to the head of the room. His cold eyes remained on Alex, causing her to recoil like a tortoise into its shell, "I'm afraid I don't have time to repeat what I've already stated only for you, Worthington, even if you do fancy yourself some kind of celebrity."

Alex bit her bottom lip and resisted the urge to fight back. That seemed to be exactly what Snape was pining for. She was already in enough hot water.

"What's his problem?" she snarled under her breath. "I was late, sure, but..."

"I don't think it's only you. He was already in a bad mood when we first got here," said Luna.

"That's not  _my_  problem."

"Worthington!" Snape wasn't done with her just yet. "Let's see if you've used your time playing hooky wisely. What would I get if I added powdered root of an asphodel to an infusion of wormwood?"

All attention fell upon Alex again. Feeling the heat, she struggled to work out an answer. Snape was putting her into a situation where she could spectacularly fail on purpose. After all, she highly doubted the question was something a first year during her first day of Potions class would be able to answer. 

Were teachers supposed to be this conniving?

Of course, not many first years read  _Magical Drafts and Potions_ and  _One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi_ front to back like she had, so the circumstances weren't entirely hopeless. 

"You would...um..." She took a deep breath, striving to remember a specific passage. "You would make Draught of Living Death, sir. It's a potion so powerful, it puts the victim into a sleep that seems like death."

Snape's beady eyes became wide and full of fury. "...Correct."

A wave of whispering spread throughout the class, but Snape held his hand up, silencing everyone on the spot. 

"Fine," he growled. "What's the difference, Worthington, between monkshood and wolfsbane?"

Alex couldn't help but crack a tiny smile. Another easy question.

"There is no difference, sir. They're the exact same plant. A third name for it, in fact, is aconite."

All the color drained from Snape's already pale face. "Where would you look if I told you to find a bezoar?"

Admittedly having to think a little harder for that one, Alex eventually snapped her fingers and proclaimed, "The stomach of a goat, sir. If I'm not mistaken (she didn't think she was) you can use a bezoar as an antidote for a number of poisons."

This time, there were a number of audible gasps from the crowd. Alex readied herself for another volley of questions, but instead, Snape marched over to his desk and pulled out a cauldron. He slammed it on his desk in a clear fit of rage, startling just about everyone in the dungeon.

"You're quite the know-it-all, aren't you, Worthington?"

Alex thought that unfair. Snape, after all, was the one who set himself up for embarrassment by attempting to make her look like an idiot.

"Come up here."

"B-But, sir..."

" _Now_ , foolish girl!"

Alex's legs moved for her and bounded toward Snape in the blink of an eye. He pointed a stern finger behind his desk, wordlessly telling her to stand there. She did so on the double before peering down into the empty cauldron. 

"You're in for a treat, class," said Snape. The crooked smirk on his face gave Alex the chills. "Since she knows so much about it, Worthington is about to brew the Draught of Living Death for us today. It is a  _very_  advanced potion normally reserved for fifth years in my O.W.L. lessons. However, I'm sure Worthington here will do just fine. I suggest everyone pull out their quills and take notes."

Though yearning to, Alex didn't whimper. She could hardly even breathe. As everyone did as Snape instructed, she gazed at Luna, who was mouthing, "You can do it." She would need a little more motivation than that.

Snape gathered the necessary ingredients on his desk. 

"Well?" he said with far too much satisfaction in his voice. "We're waiting. Oh, and note that if you fail, It'll be  _ten_ points from Ravenclaw this time."

_Ten?! Is he insane?!_

She was as good as dead if she lost Ravenclaw fifteen points in one day. People would be throwing curses at her left and right in the corridors. She picked up the wormwood in one hand and the powdered root of asphodel in the other. With Snape scowling over her shoulders, she gulped and dropped the two materials in, having no clue what to do afterward. She had read plenty about the Draught of Living Death and how it worked, but actually putting the concoction together was beyond what was stated in all her books. And Snape knew it. Alex growled and wasn't sure why the potions master was intent on torturing her like this.

"Time is ticking, Worthington," she heard Snape say. Anger began to replace her anxiousness. She might have been hopelessly lost, yet, that didn't mean she wasn't at least going to try. 

_This can't be...uh...too hard, right?_

She began picking things up at random and adding them to the cauldron. All the while, she could feel Snape boring into the back of her head. He didn't say or do anything to let her know if she was doing well...or threatening to blow the entire classroom up. The longer she worked, the more confident she became. She stirred her potion two times counterclockwise before adding the sloth brain. That left her with the Sopophorous bean juice and a room that was so quiet, it was actually ruining her concentration. Wiping the sweat from her forehead, she saw the bubbling, red potion was starting to resemble... _something_. She didn't dare look up from it to see her fellow Ravenclaws, who were no doubt counting on her screwing up. It was only then she realized the other class was a bunch of Hufflepuffs, not Gryffindors after all. That was definitely the icing on her crap cake. No matter where she went, it seemed she couldn't escape her family's Hufflepuff curse.

_Then again, embarrassing myself in front of Harry Potter would've been a close second._

A strange smell wafted its way through the dungeon. It wasn't by any means unpleasant, but it was strong, overwhelming even. Alex and almost everyone in the room found themselves scrunching their noses. 

"Congratulations, Worthington," said Snape. "You've successfully crafted Bloodroot, a poison so potent and powerful that I won't be able to use that cauldron again even with thorough cleaning. Also, I would suggest everyone in this room leave at once. The smell of this poison alone can induce headaches, nosebleeds, and nausea."

Everyone saw for themselves when one of the Hufflepuffs suddenly vomited all over his robes. The revolting sight was enough to make those present flee before they ended up in the same boat.

"While I'm sure someone of your status is used to buying your way to success," began Snape, grinning even more now, "you can see now that even the slightest mistake can lead to disastrous results. You neglected to sufficiently crush the Sopophorous beans, the sloth brain was still filthy, you turned counterclockwise instead of clockwise toward the end..."

Alex missed the end of Snape's rant on account of collapsing. The dungeon around her spun, and she was certain she was going to be sick herself.

"Idiot girl!" she heard Snape angrily declare before the world around her swirled into darkness.

**#**

"Ow..."

With her head pounding, Alex woke up from a sleep she couldn't recall taking. Her senses gradually returned to her, including her eyesight. 

"Where...?"

She was in an expansive room with many beds. It led her to first believe she was back in the Ravenclaw common room, but she soon realized that wasn't the case. This place was different, having a strong smell of disinfectant in the air. Bright, blinding light shone in from one of the many windows. Alex covered her face as she sat up to get a better look around.

"No you don't!"

Out of nowhere, an old witch raced across the room and firmly placed her hands on Alex's shoulders, forcing the latter to lay back down. 

"You need your rest!" the nurse insisted. Confused and a bit frightened, Alex quickly nodded. "I tell you, that Professor Snape. I'm going to run out of beds if he sends me any more of his students."

Hearing Severus Snape's name jumpstarted Alex's memory. Instinctively, she sat up again.

"That jerk! I'll...!"

"Lay  _down_ , Miss Worthington!"

Alex allowed the elderly nurse to help her back into a comfortable position. Her outburst left her a bit dizzy anyway.

"Who are you?" she asked. "And...where am I?"

"I am Madam Pomfrey. And this, my dear, is the Hospital Wing."

So it was. Alex took another gander around and then became morbidly curious as to whether she had killed anyone back down in the dungeon.

"Am I in trouble?" she asked as her eyes welled with tears.

Madam Pomfrey gave her a warm smile. "Not at all. But you  _are_  very sick. You're going to have to rest here for the time being. Professor Snape explained the whole thing to me after he rushed you here. You're lucky you only got a small whiff of that Bloodroot poison. Even a sip meant I would have had to call your parents to arrange a funeral."

Alex gulped. Having Snape be the one to save her while also knowing he was the reason she was in the hospital to begin with left her conflicted. Did he expect a thank you? He would be lucky if she ever attended Potions again. On the other hand, it was compulsatory for first years like her, so her hands were tied. At least Snape wasn't here now. Otherwise, she couldn't say if she could stop herself from strangling him to death. Pouting, she remained firmly still as Madam Pomfrey checked her over, feeling a tingling sensation in her arms and legs. 

"Am I going to die?" she fearfully asked.

Grabbing a tray from across the room, Madam Pomfrey returned to her side and poured the contents of an unmarked bottle into a small cup. "No, but you'll have to drink this, I'm afraid."

Alex peered at the liquid. It was grey and had no discernable smell to it. Though Madam Pomfrey held it out for her to take and assumingly drink, she inched her head away, afraid of the unknown.

"Come on now, dear," said the nurse, frowning. "It's going to taste awful, but it won't hurt. If we were regrowing bones, that would be a different story."

Alex guessed that was supposed to make her feel better. It didn't. Nevertheless, she took the cup and decided to down whatever was in it in one swig. As the liquid traveled down and burned her throat, she nearly hurled. Madam Pomfrey hadn't been kidding about the taste. The nurse handed her a glass of water afterward. She greedily drank it though could still taste the other liquid as clear as day.

"What  _was_ that?" she had to ask. 

"It'll make sure you're right as rain in the morning," answered Madam Pomfrey as she tucked Alex safely and securely under her bed sheets. "You'll only have to rest here until this afternoon though, so don't fret. Until then, get some rest."

Rest sounded delightful. Alex just didn't believe she would get any with so much on her plate. Did Snape hate her? She didn't understand why he would. They hadn't even met before today. He did, however, keep going on about her wealth. It was no secret in the wizarding world that the Worthingtons possessed many riches. Perhaps he was jealous. Remaining on the subject, Tristan Thorne, the rude third year who nearly broke her neck during the start-of-term feast, appeared to have an issue with her because of her family name as well. 

"What is with all these jerks at Hogwarts?" she wondered. "It wasn't like I asked to be rich..."

She closed her eyes and sighed. She could fret over Snape and Tristan after a nice, long nap. 

She had barely begun to snore when she heard someone groaning like the undead. Against Madam Pomfrey's wishes, she shot back up and only just then noticed a boy laying in a bed not far from her own (close to the Hufflepuff who had unfortunately thrown up his breakfast back in Potions). He was the one making all the noise, and although Alex couldn't quite tell what was wrong him, he sounded absolutely miserable.

"Are you alright over there?" 

The boy gave her a slight groan. She couldn't tell if that meant he was indeed alive or instead dying. Should she call for Madam Pomfrey?

"I'm okay..."

The black-haired boy sat up, giving Alex a full view of the numerous red boils on his arms and legs. She both gasped and cringed.

"Not to be mean, but...those look dreadful," she said.

"They  _feel_  dreadful," the sniffling boy conceded. "But...Madam Pomfrey says I'll live."

 Alex was glad to hear that. "Hey, I know you. You're the boy that was on the train, the one who lost his toad."

Miserably, the boy nodded. "I'm...Neville. Neville Longbottom."

"My name is Alex Worthington. Are you sure you're alright, Neville?"

Neville whimpered but managed to nod. "S'alright. Madam Pomfrey says she has some medicine that'll fix the boils right up. They  _really_ hurt though..."

Alex didn't doubt they did. Neville, at the moment anyway, seemed even more pitiful than Professor Quirrell.

"What happened?"

Reluctantly, Neville recalled his exploits in Potions class and how he burned a hole right through his cauldron mixing his potion wrong. It spilled all over him, hence why he was covered in blistering boils.

"That's horrible!" Alex exclaimed. She snarled, adding, "Snape! That jerk! He's the reason I'm here as well!"

"Really?" Neville's eyes became a bit brighter. Strangely, he took a bit of solace in knowing he wasn't the only one capable of screwing up his schoolwork so badly.  "Y-Yeah. Snape doesn't...like me very much. S'alright. I'm a nobody, so I didn't expect to be good at Potions anyway."

_I get the feeling Snape doesn't like a lot of his students._

"Hey, don't say that. Cheer up, Neville. I'll gladly hex Snape in his sleep if it'll make you feel better."

It did. Neville cracked the slightest of grins. "...Thanks. You...shouldn't do that though. You'll get in a lot of trouble."

That was almost worth it to Alex if she could break Snape's crooked nose.

The conversation died down, and Aled hoped Madam Pomfrey wouldn't make her take any more of that revolting medicine. There was no way she would be able to swallow down another cup.

"Wait. You said your name was Longbottom?" she asked just then. 

With another groan, Neville nodded.

"My mother knows your Grandmother. She says they often have tea together. What house are you in, Neville? We should have breakfast together."

With some hesitance, Neville replied, "...Gryffindor."

"Really?" Alex hadn't been able to hide both the surprise and skepticism in her voice. "S-Sorry, I..."

"It's alright, "Neville assured her. "I'm...used to that sort of reaction. I asked the Sorting Hat to put me in Hufflepuff, but..."

His thoughts trailed off, and he left it at that. Alex doubted there were many who would willingly ask to be placed in Hufflepuff, so she didn't believe Neville at first. It made sense, however, the longer she thought about it. From first impressions, he appeared too timid and jumpy for Gryffindor. She couldn't understand then why the hat hadn't granted his wish. 

"I'll find you tomorrow morning, okay?"

Having never been to breakfast in the Great Hall before (she usually hung back in the dormitory reading before first period), Alex wasn't sure if it was okay for people from different houses to sit together. 

Neville nodded again. Alex could tell he was neither in the mood or any shape to talk any longer, so she decided to let him rest. 

"Uh...get better, Neville. Okay?"

He gave her a grunt of acknowledgment, and things fell silent again. Alex, yawning, supposed she had better get some sleep herself. She wasn't sure if it was the work of that nasty medicine or not, but she was suddenly unable to keep her eyes open.

As she drifted into a deep sleep, she dreamed herself back in Snape's dungeon. There, she was hitting him upside the head with a ruler for screwing up the Draught of Living Death potion (he added too many Chocolate Frogs). She laughed maniacally as she took all of Slytherin's points.

It was a very nice dream. 

**#**

Alex awoke to the sound of loud barking. In a daze, she sat up. She was still in the hospital wing, though she didn't see Madam Pomfrey anywhere. The window to her right had less light shining through it. With a yawn, she saw that evening was fast approaching. Since it was Friday, she didn't have any afternoon lessons. She was free to do whatever, and considering she felt much better, she intended to head back to the common room and catch up on some reading.

That was until she heard the same barking that woke her up.

"A dog?"

It couldn't have belonged to any of the students. As far as she knew, you were only allowed to bring either owls, cats or toads. 

"Neville, do you hear...?"

But Neville was fast asleep. In light of his injuries, she decided against waking him.

" _Back_ , Fang.  _Back_."

Alex recognized that voice. She scrambled over to a window and soon spotted a hut in the distance. Standing in the doorway was a man too large to be normal, one who had to be...

"Hagrid!" she declared.  She hadn't seen him since her first day at Hogwarts. For someone so big, she had to commend him for being able to stay out of sight. "So  _that's_  who that hut belongs to."

She saw it a number of times on her way to Herbology but never thought to ask who lived in it. 

"That's right. He's the gamekeeper, so I guess he would have to live close to the school."

More importantly, she spotted a pair of students entering Hagrid's hut before he shut the door behind them. Chances were slim, and she didn't get a proper look at him due to being so far away, but she could have sworn one of the boys was...

"Harry Potter!"

She thought it worth investigating.

 _Sorry, Madam Pomfrey_. 

"Where are you going?! Worthington!"

Ignoring Madam Pomfrey calling after her, Alex moved quickly. She had been waiting for this opportunity ever since hearing about Potter back on the Hogwarts Express. She wasn't going to let it slip through her fingertips this time.

_Why is he going to see Hagrid though?_

**#**

The voyage to Hagrid's house was tricky, just like trying to get anywhere else in Hogwarts. It looked rather close from the hospital wing, but Alex, gasping for air, realized she should have known better. Every part of the castle she was sure she had memorized moved somewhere else. Still, she could at least say she was finally at her destination. She dragged her feet toward Hagrid's front door and lifted her arm to knock. It fell to her side, however, limping like a wet noodle. She didn't have any energy left.

"Can't....breathe..." she choked. "Note to self: EXERCISE!"

Barking coming from the other side of the door gave her a rather nasty fright. Being no good with animals, she hoped whatever was waiting for her wouldn't try to bite her head off. She successfully knocked this time after gathering a sufficient amount of courage.

"Alright, alright, Fang! Back I say!  _Back_!"

That was Hagrid alright. Alex crossed her fingers. Harry Potter had better be inside. Otherwise, she was wasting her time.

"Who is it?" asked Hagrid after opening the door. Alex froze. He was even bigger than she remembered him, and she could hardly see his face on account of his bushy beard. "Hang on. I remember you. Yer..."

"Alex..." Alex answered. She was still out of breath. "Worthington. Let's skip the formalities. Is Potter here?"

"Yer lookin' for Harry?" asked Hagrid raising an eyebrow. Lines of suspicion painted his massive face. "What for?"

"Please, it's...important."

Still unsure, Hagrid eventually nodded and gestured for her to come in. She grinned from ear to ear, though there was one problem.

She couldn't move. 

It felt like weights were holding her down. Blushing, she couldn't believe she was  _this_  out of shape. Or perhaps it was the effects of the drink Madam Pomfrey gave her. It was likely she shouldn't have been moving around so soon after taking it.

"Still ain't got yer land legs?"

Hagrid chuckled, and much to Alex's displeasure, hoisted her onto his massive shoulder. She had a major case of déjà vu. This wasn't how she planned on getting inside the hut, though it was at least the desired result. She gave herself a thumbs up. 

"Alright, Fang!" grunted Hagrid. "It's just another guest! Back, I say!"

A  _huge_ , black boarhound came into view. Alex shrieked when it pressed its front paws on Hagrid's stomach in an effort to reach her.  _Of course_  a giant would have an equally oversized dog. At the very least, Fang's intimidating appearance looked to be misleading. He happily wagged his tail, practically begging to get to her. Though hesitant, she asked Hagrid to let her down. Fang, as expected, knocked her off her feet when he pounced on her.

"Don't worry. He don't bite," Hagrid assured her.

"He does lick though," she stated with a sour face, bracing herself as Fang's tongue reached her face. This had have been the happiest dog she had ever encountered. 

"Who's this then, Hagrid?"

Shoving Fang back enough to get a proper look at who just spoke (no easy task since he weighed at least twice as much as her), Alex held her breath. More appropriately, she  _couldn't_  breathe. 

Here he was at long last. 

Harry Potter was gazing back at her curiously, alongside a tall, gangly red-haired boy. Potter was a lot skinnier than she had imagined. Shorter too, although she didn't believe she was one to talk. And what was with those glasses? They were so... _thick_ , as if he were instead wearing a pair of telescopes. She squinted like if doing so would make the boy before her seem a bit more...how should she put it?

 _Intimidating_.

"Well?" said Hagrid. "There's yer Harry Potter."

While that may have indeed been the case, Alex felt it ironic that she had no clue what to say after searching for Harry all this time. Hagrid offered her some rock cakes. She paid the plate dangling in front of her no mind, lost in a trance. Eventually, she stepped forward.

"Um..." she began, twiddling her thumbs. Her heart was pounding so loudly in her chest, it made it hard for her to come up with actual words to spew. "I...um...I just wanted to..."

"Get on with it, will you?" said the red-haired boy in exasperation. Alex narrowed her eyelids at him. "What? You're the one blabbering on like a lunatic."

"Excuse you!" Alex countered. "I know who you are! You're one of the Weasleys, aren't you? Those freckles are a dead giveaway."

The alleged Weasley went pink in the ears. "So what if I am? What's it to you?"

The Weasleys were one of the few pureblood families left, alongside Alex's own. As such, she was probably related to him somehow, though she personally hadn't met any of them until now. 

It wasn't a good first impression.

"Here to call my family poor, are you?" the boy added. "Go on then!"

"I...I would never...!" Alex wasn't sure why she was suddenly cast as the bad guy. "Just...shut up, alright!" 

"...What kind of comeback is that?" the red-head wondered. 

Alex was the one to turn pink this time. "You're a rude, little boy, aren't you?!"

" _Me_?!" Her sparring partner looked highly affronted. "You're the bloody maniac coming in here and...!"

"Ron," said Harry Potter softly, speaking for the first time. He shook his head. "Did you want something? You said you were looking for me?"

So, Harry was going to give her lip too? She placed her hands on her hips and couldn't help but pout. 

"I...just wanted to know if you were really him," she said.

"If you're asking if I'm  _the_  Harry Potter," said Harry wearily. Alex could tell he was tired of having to say this, "then yes. That's me." 

"Oh..."

Oh. Alex wanted to hit herself upside the head. Certainly, she had a better response than  _that_. Her gaze shifted to the floor, and she emptied her throat for no particular reason. 

"Is that all?" asked Ron. "You can go away now. Thanks."

If steam could shoot out of Alex's ears, it would on account of how angry she was. 

"N-No one was talking to you, Weasley!" she snapped. 

"Don't talk to him that way," said Harry angrily. 

Alex gasped. "Y-You're taking  _his_  side?!"

"He sure is!" voiced Ron proudly. "Go on! Get!"

Trembling in a blind rage, Alex was almost tempted to do just that. However, she still had her pride. She found an empty seat, sat down, and crossed her arms.

"I would like one of those rock cakes, Hagrid," she said, holding her nose high.

"Uh...right." Hagrid, utterly bewildered, gave her a particularly lumpy one from the plate. She regretted her request upon taking a bite of it. All her teeth nearly shattered like glass since it was so hard. Hiding her pain, she forced a smile and put the rest in her pocket.

"Don't give her one of those!" said Ron indignantly. "Did you even invite her to tea, Hagrid?"

Before Hagrid could answer, Alex said, "Did he invite  _you_?"

Ron again blushed and became unusually quiet.

"That's enough," said Harry, visibly frustrated. "Just go already. You're disturbing us."

Alex let out an even more dramatic gasp. "I-I refuse! Even if you  _are_  Harry Potter, which I'm seriously starting to doubt, by the way..."

"Hey!"

"I'm not going anywhere, and that's that! I desire to be Hagrid's guest for tea as well. We have some catching up to do, after all! Isn't that right, Hagrid?"

Hagrid blinked. "Er...it's..."

"Great!" Alex proclaimed. "Got it? Nobody is going anywhere!"

Harry and Ron stared at her with their mouths wide open.

"She's a total loon," said Ron, shaking his head. "Just let her do whatever she wants, Harry."

Hagrid's hut became quiet save for the sounds of Fang licking the crumbs off Alex's fingers. She was beside herself with rage. This without a doubt  _wasn't_  how she expected her first meeting with Harry Potter to go. He and his annoying friend just about hated her now. Half of her felt like an idiot for losing her temper so easily, while the other craved to trade a few more jabs with Hagrid's guests. What was she even doing? Did she really want to remain somewhere she clearly wasn't wanted? Sighing, she turned her gaze to the copper kettle boiling over Hagrid's fireplace. It wasn't much of a distraction, but it would have to do. She had already talked enough smack. Therefore, she would look like a complete idiot if she just up and left. She had to stand her ground.

"So...er..." Hagrid struggled to come up with something to discuss. "How's yer brother Charlie, Ron? I liked him a lot—great with animals."

While Ron and Hagrid chatted, Alex eyed Harry. He was busy reading a scrap of paper. Curiosity got the better of her.

"What are you reading?" she asked in a casual tone.

Harry's green eyes looked over the newspaper clipping and at her. He said nothing at first, debating on whether he should even bother answering the likes of her. 

"A cutting from the  _Daily Prophet_ ," he finally said.

"What's it about?"

"I haven't finished reading it yet."

"Oh, I see..."

The discussion, if one could even call it that, died right there. Even without Harry going into more detail, Alex could tell something about what he was reading was of extreme interest to him. His eyes got bigger the farther he got down the page. 

Just as she was about to again ask him what he was up to, he abruptly shouted, "Hagrid! That Gringotts break-in happened on my birthday! It might've been happening while we were there!"

Gringotts break in? That was news to Alex. A flurry of questions raced through her mind. 

"Wait, what? What are you talking about?"

She hadn't had a chance to read the Daily  _Prophet_  since arriving at Hogwarts, so she was completely out of the loop on the latest news. Still, breaking into a place like Gringotts should have been impossible. It was protected around the clock by goblins and dragons. Unless you had a death wish, Alex couldn't imagine anyone foolish enough to attempt a robbery.

If Hagrid knew what Harry was going on about, he declined to respond. In fact, he seemed to be doing his best to avoid direct eye contact. It might have only been her imagination, yet, Alex felt like she had accidentally stumbled upon something big. 

"Did Hagrid take something out of a Gringotts' vault?"

"I did, but...!" 

Hagrid caught himself, but it was too late. Alex got the answer she desired.

"What was it?" she asked, licking her lips in anticipation. "Is it whatever the person in the paper tried to steal? It must be important if they would go through that much trouble."

"Hey, stay out of this!" said Ron.

Alex paid him no mind. "You said you were there on your birthday, Potter? What did the thing look like?"

"That's enough! What's in that package is between me 'n Dumbledore!" shouted Hagrid. He grabbed Harry, Ron, and Alex by the ends of their robes and dragged them to the door. "You can keep them rock cakes! Yer gonna be late for dinner, so get! Oh, and I'll send another invitation fer tea soon. Anyway, get!"

He threw them out in the gentlest way possible, slamming the door behind them.

"Look what you did!" Ron yelled at Alex. "We were going to figure out what Hagrid and Dumbledore were up to until you had to go an open your big mouth!"

"What's going on?" Alex asked Harry, pretending Ron wasn't even there. "Whatever it is, I want in."

"Hey! I'm talking here!" cried Ron.

"It's none of your business," said Harry, brushing Alex's hand off his shoulder.

"And it's none of  _yours_ if Hagrid is right," replied Alex tepidly. "Take it easy. I won't tell anyone. I just don't like not knowing something this important."

"I think that's what's called being nosy," chimed Ron. "Who the bloody hell are you anyway?"

"Alex Worthington."

"Worthington? Say, isn't your father the nut who thinks he can make a broom out of teeth?"

Feeling humiliated, Alex chose not to answer. 

"Forget her, Ron," said Harry. "Let's go."

"Hey, wait a second, Potter! We're not done here!"

Apparently, they were. Harry and Ron strode across the grassy field and back toward the castle, leaving Alex to wallow in her frustration.

"The nerve!" she said, angrily tapping her foot on the ground. "This isn't over! I'll stalk Potter if I have to!"

On second thought, that sounded rather creepy. 

**#**

"What do you mean you can't show me?"

"Sorry, but it's against the rules."

"Screw the rules! I need to find Harry Potter!"

"Rules are  _very_  important. Besides, you're from Ravenclaw. You're not supposed to be sneaking into the Gryffindor dormitory."

Hermoine Granger was a tough nut to crack. Alex, tired and weary from arguing with her, regretted having tracked her down to begin with. Hermoine curled her lips, leering at Alex with great disdain.

"Why do you want to see Harry so badly anyway?" she inquired. 

"R-Reasons," was the only thing Alex could think to say.

That wasn't enough for Hermoine. "Sorry. I won't help you break the rules. Why don't you spend this time studying instead of trying to be somewhere you shouldn't? You know Filch would kill you if he caught you."

Alex bit her bottom lip. If she wanted a lecture, she would have mailed her mother. 

"Fine!" she shouted as she began walking away. "And for your information, I don't need to study! I have the best grades in History of Magic out of all the Ravenclaw first years! So...there!"

That really didn't have anything to do with the topic, but she just didn't feel like being the one who 'lost.' 

"That's good for you. Keep up the good work."

Hermoine went on her merry way with those words. With her jaw hanging wide open, Alex wasn't sure if that was meant to be a legitimate compliment or Hermione being coy. Regardless, she found herself irritated and defeated as she stomped her way toward Ravenclaw Tower.

"There's just something about that girl," she grumbled. This wasn't the end. Even without Hermoine's help, she would find a way to get closer to Harry Potter. She simply needed to calm down, sit, and think. Thinking was her specialty. She hoped it was anyway. "I'm going about this the wrong way. I just have to catch Potter when he's out of the common room. So, that should be tomorrow morning at breakfast."

She groaned since she would have to skip her morning reading. 

"Damn. This would have been so much easier if I were only sorted into..."

In the midst of her strategizing, Alex didn't notice the person in front of her, hence why the two of them crashed into one another. Books and her school work went flying all over the place. Alex, meanwhile, was sure one of her bones was broken as she laid flat on her behind.

"That...hurt," she muttered. That was plainly obvious. She felt compelled to say it out loud anyway. "That...was my fault, wasn't it?"

"You're damn straight, Rich Girl."

Alex didn't dare move. She was a deer in the hunter's sights, seconds away from being gunned down. The boy towering over her was no doubt out for blood.

"Are you blind or something?" Tristan Thorne said, gritting his teeth. "Or, are you just used to having a servant telling you where to go?"

Alex opened her mouth to speak, but nothing came out. She was too busy shaking like a leaf in the wind. Luna Lovegood wasn't there to save her this time.

"...Why are you just lying there?" asked Tristan. "Here."

He extended his hand. Alex, however, merely stared at it as if it were the Killing Curse.

"Come on, Rich Girl. I don't have all day."

Meekly nodding, Alex allowed herself to be pulled to her feet. 

"What are you...?"

Without saying another word, Tristan began collecting her books and papers. Once he gathered them up in a neat pile, he held them out to her.

"Take 'em," he said.

"Uh..."

"This stuff is yours, right? Take it already."

Alex nodded again and did exactly that. 

_What...is going on?_

Just the other day, Tristan Thorne had been ready to kill her. Now he was helping her? Alex, raising an eyebrow, seriously didn't get it. Was this some sort of trick? She readied herself for anything. However, Tristan turned around and started to walk away.

"W-Wait a sec!"

Alex wasn't sure why she called out to him. She lowered her arm, instantly regretting it. Tristan stopped but didn't face her.

"...What?" he said in his usual, nasty tone. "You need something else?"

Alex wondered if that was the case. She took a few moments to deliberate. 

"You'll...probably need help trying to figure out today's riddle. I heard it's a tough one. Why don't I go back to the common room with you?"

"Are you saying I'm dumb? I'm in Ravenclaw too, you know."

Alex winced. "N-No. Nothing like that. It's just..."

She stopped before she got herself into even more trouble with him. If he was intent on playing the part of the brooding loner, she wasn't going to stand in his way. 

"Fine."

"What?"

Tristan turned his head to her, scowling. "I said  _fine_. Lead the way then, Rich Girl. I'm clearly useless without you."

No longer afraid, Alex found herself annoyed. "...Fine."

Tristan shrugged before gesturing for her to go in front of him. "Ladies first."

Alex wasn't ready to call him a gentleman quite yet. She did indeed take the lead though, quietly guiding them through the twisting hallways of Hogwarts. Getting to class without losing her way she hadn't mastered yet, but reaching the common room was a lot easier. She knew to take the right near the one hole in the wall and then a left past the creaky suit of armor. All the while, Tristan Thorne didn't say so much as a word. Alex got suspicious.

 _What's he up to_? 

Carefully, she peered at him from the corner of her eyes. He wasn't doing anything really unless one counted having their hands behind their head as a crime. His blue eyes met her, prompting her to quickly glance away.

"You look like you want to ask me something," he remarked.

He again read her like a book, making her huff and puff. "...Why are you being so nice to me today? I thought you hated me."

"When did I say anything like that?"

She felt than idiotic question. "How about when you nearly killed me last week?"

Tristan didn't say anything at first, making her suspicious. Was he going to try to deny it? She had witnesses: everyone in the Great Hall.

"...Professor Flitwick said...I was out of line," he sheepishly answered. Alex never imagined he could sound so innocent. "...Maybe I was. A little..."

"A little?"

"Alright. A  _lot_ , okay? You happy?"

"Very much, yes."

"Good. Sorry...I guess."

It wasn't much of an apology, though it was more than she ever thought she would hear from the likes of him. She would take it. She had no clue how Professor Flitwick had convinced him into being so remorseful. His small stature always led her to underestimate him.

The two walked for a little while longer. A bit  _too_  long honestly. A bead of sweat rolled down the side of Alex's head.

"What?" she heard Tristan grunt. "You lost?"

"Of course not!" she said proudly. "A Worthington doesn't get lost."

"Is that so, princess? My mistake.  _Of course_  the rich and famous wouldn't get lost. You would obviously know better than a commoner like me who's been here three years longer than you. What was I thinking?"

_Why did I bring up my family name again? I'm an idiot..._

It was difficult, yet, Alex strived to drown out his incessant griping. 

"By the way," Tristan continued, "you should've taken a right back there by the spider webs."

"Seriously?"

Feeling a hit to her pride, Alex swallowed and turned around.

"Oh? You're actually going to listen to a commoner like me?" said a smirking Tristan. "I am humbled, princess. I really am. Okay then. Keep straight down here. It's not far."

"Okay already. Enough."

"What's the matter? Not used to people telling you what to do? As you can see, money won't do you any good here at Hogwarts."

"I get it! Shut up!"

"Why don't you buy my silence like you do everything else? Turn here."

"..."

"You hear me? Turn here."

"..."

"Oy! Are you listening, Rich Girl? Turn here!"

Alex stopped all of a sudden, causing her companion to slam right into her.

"H-Hey!" he cried. "Didn't I tell you to watch where you're going? You...!"

He forgot what else he was going to say due to hearing the distinct sound of crying. A misty-eyed Alex turned to him, sniffling.

"Oh no! Don't start doing that now!" he said. "W-Why are you crying?!"

Without warning, Alex punched him in the chest. Given her skinny arms, the blow did next to no damage. Tristan, however, was still dumbfounded.

"Sorry I was born into wealth!" proclaimed Alex. "I didn't ask to be a Worthington! I don't know what your problem with people with money is, but leave me out of it,  _jerk_!"

She struck him again for good measure. She then ran as fast as her legs would carry her.

"H-Hold on a sec, Worthington!" she heard Tristan shout somewhere behind her. "Worthington!"

It was nice to hear him calling her by her name, but it was also too little too late. Alex reached the golden eagle, which sung, "I pass the sun yet leave no shadow. What am I?"

"I don't know, okay!" Alex tearfully declared. "Just let me in!"

The door, unsurprisingly, didn't move. Alex shouted at the top of her lungs and drove her foot into it. Other than making a loud thump that echoed across the hallway, that still didn't do the trick. She was at the end of her wits.

"The wind."

"Rather astute," said the eagle. The door at last swung open. Sniffling, Alex whirled around to see Luna Lovegood smiling at her.

"Hello," she said, humming a tune Alex didn't recognize. "Were you out here long?"

"N-No." Alex made haste to wipe her face clean though guessed it would hardly matter on account of how red her eyes must have been. "Thanks."

"That was a tough one," said Luna dreamily. "By the way, I passed a boy who kept shouting 'Worthington' at the top of his lungs. Do you think perhaps he was talking about you?"

Alex took a long while to reply, "...No. Let's go inside already before we have to answer another riddle."

That suited Luna just fine. Humming the same tune from before, she headed inside. Alex quietly trailed behind, not bothering to look back as the door slammed shut behind her. 

She wasn't sure ever wanted to back outside again.

**END**


	4. BLOOD TRAITOR

"Well, can you do it?"

"I don't believe I heard you correctly.  _You_  want me to put a hex on someone, Worthington?"

"That's right. The nastiest you can think of. That's up your family's alley, right, Malfoy?"

"If you're trying to flatter me, Worthington, you've done a good job."

The crooked smile on Draco Malfoy's face made Alex sick to her stomach. So did coming to him for help. It was like making a deal with the devil. Still, as she gulped, she felt Malfoy the only person around despicable enough to pull off her request. From the looks of it, she had been right on the money. 

Whether that was a good thing or not, however...

"Alright, I'll do it."

"You will?"

"Isn't that what I just said? Now then, tell me who you want hexed. Is it Potter?  _Please_  tell me it's Potter."

Malfoy's cronies, Crabbe and Goyle, snickered at his words. Alex, on the other hand, frowned even harder. 

"Sorry to say that it isn't," she replied. "It's a Ravenclaw third year."

"Oh?" Malfoy stroked his chin and was surprised, pleasantlysurprised. "You want someone in your own House taken out? I didn't think you had it in you, Worthington. You should've been sorted into Slytherin after all."

Alex almost threw up. "Enough talk, Malfoy! Can you do it or not? His name is Tristan Thorne."

Merely saying Tristan's name agitated her ten times more than having to make this deal Malfoy. 

"Thorne, eh?" said Malfoy inquisitively. The less he knew, the better, Alex thought. "Yes. I believe I've heard of him. He's quite the troublemaker in your house if rumors are to be believed. I won't ask why you've marked him. Still, he must've done something  _truly_  despicable for you to come to  _me_."

Bitterly, Alex replied, "Something like that."

"I understand. Just know that you'll owe me something after the job is done. Fair is fair, right?"

Alex was sure Draco Malfoy nor anyone in his family even knew how to spell the word 'fair.'  

"Don't worry. I'll think of it later. For the time being, you can rest easy."

"...Whatever."

With her business thankfully concluded, Alex moved in the direction of the Gryffindor table.

"Worthington!" Malfoy shouted after her. For reasons beyond her, she actually stopped. "I'm telling you—you'd make a better Slytherin than all three of us!"

Her whole face turned a vivid shade of pink when Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle erupted into a fit of laughter. She quickly lowered her head, avoiding the eyes of the many students peering up from their breakfast. Malfoy was lucky she held such an intense grudge for Tristan Thorne. Otherwise, she would hex  _him_. At the very least, she could count on him getting the job done. A creep like Malfoy relished the chance to cause some chaos.

"Serves you right, jerk!" she muttered to herself as Tristan's stupid, smug face flashed through her irate thoughts. "I hope Malfoy turns him into a worm!"

Even that was too good for him in her opinion. She hadn't seen Tristan since their spat in the corridors, which suited her just fine. So did the fact he never came to breakfast. No one ever knew where he was...not that Alex gave a damn. She simply felt fortunate she didn't have to see his ugly mug every morning. His mocking words about her family's wealth still rung in her ears.  

"He had a lot of nerve! I still can't believe it! Stupid boy!"

"Are you working on your Snape impersonation, Worthington?"

Speaking of boys that got Alex's blood boiling, Ron Weasley snickered at her while chewing on a strip of bacon. 

"Drop dead, Weasley."

"Hey!" Ron hollered. "Manners! Go back to your own table if you're going to be that way, you...!"

Alex, rolling her eyes, swept past him. She didn't even bother speaking to Harry Potter, who was sitting next to him. Neither he nor Ron was who she came to see.

"Neville," she said, reaching the person in question. The two had been eating breakfast together for the past week as promised. Beside him was Hermoine Granger. Judging from the open book in front of them, they were studying. " _Quidditch Through the Ages_? You interested in joining the team, Neville? I would never have thought."

Alex had only been joking, but her words caused him to turn a sickly shade of white.

"N-No way!" he said breathlessly. "T-They're having flying lessons today and..."

"Neville's extremely nervous," explained Hermoine. Speaking of which, Alex noticed her shaking like a leaf too. Maybe he wasn't the only one with the jitters. "I was just going over this book with him.  _Again_. I thought maybe it would ease his nerves."

Though she chose not to say so out loud, Alex didn't think it was working. She had nearly forgotten today was the day the first years would begin their flying lessons. Unlike Neville or Hermoine, she hadn't thought much about them. She had no care whether she passed or failed since anything she did in the future wouldn't require her to be riding a broomstick. 

Unless, of course, Hogwarts changed its mind about letting students fly to class. 

"Don't worry, Neville. You'll...um...be fine," she assured him, placing a hand on his shoulder.

"Thanks," he replied weakly. "You...don't have to lie though. I'm gonna crash and probably break all of my bones."

Alex was glad to see him being optimistic. 

Not. 

"Maybe only a few. Seriously though. It's going to be..."

"You're just making him more nervous!" said Hermoine scathingly. "Leave him alone for a bit, alright?"

Alex's mouth curled into a wicked frown. "Well, excuse  _me_."

How surprising that the know-it-all would speak up when no one was talking to her.

Not.

Alex didn't  _hate_ Hermoine Granger per se. She merely thought the girl insufferable. Apparently, many in Gryffindor shared the same opinion. That mainly had to do with Hermoine having a habit of boring her peers to death with facts out of her schoolwork or scolding them over the tiniest things. Alex was fortunate that, unlike the Gryffindors, she didn't have to deal with Hermoine on a regular basis. 

"I don't get it though," continued Alex. "You can study that book all you want, but it won't actually help in terms of flying."

She knew that first hand from both Transfiguration and Charms class. All her reading before enrolling at Hogwarts had been for naught. 

"You'll just have to hop on a broom and figure it out by trying."

Neville made a sound similar to a dying cat, leading Hermoine to glare at Alex for her loose lips. Before the former could nag some more, the mail arrived. Hundreds of owls soared their way into the Great Hall. They circled about in search of their owners, though Alex was pleased to know none of them would bother her as she ate. She had no owl or any pets for that matter, a conscious choice on her part. Besides, the only person who would be interested in sending her post was her father, and he would have nothing to say to her other than tips on proper dental hygiene. She could do without that during her time at Hogwarts. 

"Nothing again, Potter?"

Alex narrowed her eyes at Malfoy, who was happily displaying the numerous boxes of sweets his mother had no doubt sent him. 

"Spoiled brat."

Her attention shifted to Harry. A pretty, snowy owl was nipping at the ends of his robes, but she didn't appear to have anything for her owner per Malfoy's claim. Alex got a bit melancholy. What was so funny about him getting nothing? Everyone should have known Harry Potter of all people had no parents to send him sweets or other nice gifts. She was about to tell Malfoy off before recalling that the two of them had a deal. Getting on his bad side would likely mean him not doing anything about her Tristan Thorne problem. 

Another bird, this one a barn owl Alex knew belonged to Neville, landed at the table. It had a small package attached to one of its tiny legs, one Neville opened with something akin to excitement. Alex was both glad and a little astonished he could give such a reaction.

"It must be something good," she muttered.

"It's a Remembrall!" he proclaimed, holding up a marble-sized ball full of white smoke. It was a Remembrall alright. Alex's father had about a dozen of them to remind him to brush his teeth that many times a day. 

While Neville explained what the Remembrall did to all the eager eyes watching it, the orb suddenly turned a deep scarlet. The color matched Neville's cheeks. He couldn't remember for the life of him what the Remembrall was trying to hint at. Alex chuckled, thinking that just like him.

"I swear I had it at the top of my head!" he assured everyone. "I guess it was a good thing Gran  _did_  send this!"

"What have you got there, Longbottom?"

Malfoy, coincidentally walking past the Gryffindor table, grabbed Neville's gift for himself. 

"The word is 'please,' Malfoy," said Alex, exasperated. "Give it back."

"I wouldn't hang around this Gryffindor scum, Worthington," advised Malfoy, juggling the orb up and down. "Their stench is contagious."

"Didn't you hear me? I said give it back. Stealing isn't nice, Malfoy."

"Are you seriously sticking up for the likes of  _Longbottom_? You've grown soft, Worthington."

"No, I just have a conscience, unlike you. Now,  _give it back_!"

Harry and Ron leaped to their feet just then and faced Malfoy. Though it went against her better judgment, Alex did the same. Clearly, a jerk like Malfoy wasn't going to listen to reason. That was likely why Harry and Ron were balling their fists.

Before the situation could explode, however, Professor McGonagall suddenly arrived on the scene. A blinking Alex could have sworn the woman was just on the other side of the Great Hall. She moved fast for being up there in years.

"What's going on here?" she inquired sternly. 

"Malfoy's got my Remembrall, Professor," cried Neville.

Malfoy smacked his lips and handed over the object in question at last.

"Only looking, Professor," he remarked. His nostrils wrinkled specifically at Alex, who had a hunch their deal was probably off. "Remember what I told you, Worthington. Watch yourself."

Was that an honest warning...or a threat? As Malfoy slunk back over to the Slytherin table with Crabbe and Goyle in tow, Alex was too afraid to ask. 

"What was that about?" Ron asked angrily. "You  _know_  that creep?"

"...In a way," was all Alex was willing to reveal. 

"'In a way' she says!" Ron threw his hands up. "Don't think I didn't see you talking to Malfoy and his goons before you came over here, Worthington! Discussing how you'd come over and steal Neville's Remembrall, eh?"

"I-Is that true?" asked Neville, who looked horrified.

"Of course not!" Alex shouted. "I didn't even know Neville was going to get a bloody Remembrall! I can't see the future!"

"Oh? Then what  _were_  you doing talking to Malfoy?" asked Harry suspiciously. 

"Et tu, Potter?"

This certainly wasn't the situation Alex hoped to find herself in. Going around and telling everyone she had basically hired Draco Malfoy to do a hit likely wasn't a good idea. That would make her no better than him. Then again, maybe she  _wasn't_. No matter what Tristan Thorne did, that didn't make it right for her to sick Malfoy on him like an attack dog. 

_Did I go too far?_

She would have to fret over that later.

"Come on, Neville! I wasn't doing anything with Malfoy! Honest!" she proclaimed.

That was far from the truth, yet, she had to save face somehow.

"Yeah, sure," said Ron, clearly not convinced. "I bet yours and his family are rather chummy. You rich, pure-bloods got to stick together, after all."

Once again, Alex's family and wealth were being spoken poorly of. Her eyelid twitched.

"...What was that?"

"You heard me! It's not good enough your lot has more money than you know what to do with. You've gotta steal everyone else's stuff too."

" _Shut your mouth_ , Weasley!" 

"Hit the nail right on the head, haven't I?"

"I said  _shut up_! You don't know a thing!"

"Your father  _is_  loony enough to sort with the Malfoys! You all trade horror stories over tea and crumpets on how many Muggles you've killed?"

"Why are you two fighting?!" cried Hermoine. "Stop it before Professor McGonagall comes back! You'll get us all in trouble!"

Neither Ron nor Alex paid her any mind. 

"Quit having a go at my family!" shouted Alex at the top of her voice. Her whole face had grown as red as Neville's Remembrall. There was no way Professor McGonagall, or anyone with working ears for that matter, hadn't heard her, but she didn't care. "And for someone who's completely clueless, you sure sound so darn sure of yourself! I helped get Neville's Remembrall back from Malfoy, didn't I?!"

"How do we know you weren't trying to take it for yourself?" mused Ron. "You should've been sorted into Slytherin! You're as dirty as the lot of them, Worthington!"

"Seriously, you two!" pleaded Hermoine. Alex wished she would shut up already.

It was clear the majority of people at the Gryffindor table were taking Ron's side. Dozens of accusing eyes fell upon Alex, who felt the heat.

Maybe that's why she said what she did. 

"SHUT UP, YOU DIRTY BLOOD TRAITOR!"

The entire hall fell silent. Ron's jaw fell wide open. Neville gasped and held a hand over his mouth. Alex, shuttering, sat wide-eyed. 

Blood traitor.

Had that term really come out of her lips? She put a pair of fingers up to them and shook her head in disbelief. It meant a pure-blood who accepted Muggle-borns and Muggles with open arms. In terms of offensive insults, 'blood traitor' was definitely high on the list in the wizarding world. While Alex's father was a bit off his rocker and her mother quite reserved in comparison, neither one of them had expressed any real disdain for Muggles or Muggle-borns. The longer she thought about it, the more she felt the Worthingtons could have been seen as 'Muggle-lovers' too, just like the Weasleys. 

She had to do something to fix this.

"W-Weasley, I... 

But Professor McGonagall was coming back. Alex panicked. Grabbing her things, she bolted for the exit, ignoring McGonagall's cries for her to come back. She didn't even react when Draco Malfoy congratulated her on 'a job well done.'

"I told you, Worthington!" he said. "You're a better Slytherin than the lot of us!"

Those words echoed in her mind. Ron said the same thing. They couldn't both be wrong...could they?

**#**

Running is easy when you have no destination in mind. Alex didn't care where she went so long as no one else was there. She couldn't dare face anyone who had heard her say those awful words back in the Great Hall. The prospect was too mortifying. Sobbing, she wiped the tears out of her eyes so she could see where she was going. It was no use, however. They just kept on coming.

"Why did I say that?! I am such an idiot! I'm the biggest idiot in the world!"

She found an empty, lonely hallway to curl into a ball in. It didn't seem like people came this way often, which worked perfectly. Sitting against a wall, she continued crying into her arms, cursing herself for being so heartless. Rumors about her exploits at breakfast were no doubt spreading around the school like wildfire. What would happen to her? How much trouble would she be in? Maybe Hogwarts would end up putting her in Slytherin after all. She had never heard of any cases of a student being put into a different House after being sorted, but she considered her circumstances most unusual. Malfoy's taunt about her being the perfect fit for Slytherin kept resounding in her mind. It was like nails on a chalkboard. She squealed.

"I don't want to be in Slytherin," she said in-between sniffles. She had grown rather attached to Ravenclaw in her short time at Hogwarts. Besides, having to see Draco Malfoy's face on a daily basis was tantamount to torture. Even if she  _did_  use the term blood traitor, did she really deserve such a harsh punishment?

She didn't move for quite awhile. She wasn't sure how much time passed or how many classes she missed. She was supposed to have Flying with the Hufflepuffs that afternoon, but...she really wasn't in the mood to go zipping about on a broomstick. Sniffling again, the threat of expulsion for her truancy no longer scared her. After all, a menace like her wouldn't be able to call anyone a blood traitor if she were shut up in her room like the old days.

"What are you doing here? Are you okay?"

Startled, Alex jumped at someone approaching her. 

_Whoa..._

The incredibly handsome boy hovering over her left her lost for words. Seriously, Alex found herself unable to breathe while studying the seemingly chiseled lines of his face. He was tall on top of it, having alluring, brown hair and grey eyes to boot. The robes he wore told Alex he was a student at Hogwarts like her, yet, was that really the case? If someone had told her he instead walked right out of a fashion magazine, she would have believed them. 

"H-Hi..." she said gingerly.

The boy smiled at her, revealing perfectly white teeth. Alex shuttered. 

"Hello," he replied. "Are you lost? Are you perhaps a first year? Here—let's get you up."

Nodding, Alex allowed the mysterious person to help her to her feet. She wobbled around on account of sitting for so long, but the boy grabbed her around the waist, stabilizing her. 

"T-Thank you," she mumbled. Her heart pounded in her chest. There was nothing tense about the circumstances, so she wasn't sure why. She didn't feel sick or anything. Still, she pressed her palm against her forehead to be sure. 

"Are you feeling sick?" asked the brown-haired boy, picking up on her thoughts.

"N-No. I'm...sorry. I shouldn't be here, should I?"

"Probably not." The boy laughed. "Come on. I'll take you to your Head of house. You look as if you need someone to talk to."

He wasn't kidding. Alex nodded again and did nothing to stop him from wrapping his arm around hers. Although still teary-eyed, she strangely felt much better next to this mysterious person.

"What's your name?" he asked. "Oh, and your house. That way, I'll know who to take you to."

"Alex. Alex Worthington. First year. And I'm in..." Alex hesitated. She wasn't sure she had any right to speak the truth. She relented when the boy raised an eyebrow. "...Ravenclaw."

"Ravenclaw. Got it. I think I remember where Professor Flitwick's office is. Anyway, I'm Cedric Diggory. Third year and a Hufflepuff."

Hufflepuff? Alex was sure she had misheard him. There was no way such a gallant person could be in  _Hufflepuff_  of all houses!

_Did the Sorting Hat make a mistake with him too?_

Perhaps Cedric was in the same boat as Neville: put in the wrong place for unknown reasons. Maybe her as well.

"If you don't mind me asking," began Cedric gingerly, "what were you doing out here all by yourself? Shouldn't you be in class?"

"Shouldn't  _you_?" countered Alex, desperately striving to avoid revealing her dirty secret.

Cedric smirked. "Fair enough. If you must know, I just got back from a meeting."

"A meeting?"

"Yes. I'm...not supposed to tell anyone this, but," he made a rather humorous effort to look all around him to ensure no one but Alex was listening in, making her giggle. Then, in a quieter voice, he explained, "I just got back from a Quidditch team meeting."

"You play Quidditch?"

"I do. I play Seeker. The Hufflepuff Captain just got through adding some new members. I only had to be there as a formality. It isn't as if I can go against anything he says."

He laughed, though Alex didn't, figuring it was one of those instances where you had to be there to get the joke.

"What about you, Alex? Any interest in Quidditch? You can try out for the Ravenclaw team next year. I wouldn't go for Seeker though. That team already has a hell of one."

Cedric chuckled again. Alex, shrugging, supposed this was another reference she simply wasn't going to understand without clarification. 

"Quite honestly, no," she admitted. "Though, I have to say that Quidditch is a rather intriguing sport. It is dangerous, violently so in fact. I find it fascinating Hogwarts allows minors to play. One wrong hit from a Bludger and you could consider a player's brain scrambled. According to  _Quidditch Through the Ages_  and  _A History of Hogwarts_ , no one here at school has died in a very long time, but the possibility is still there. People  _have_ , however, died during professional games. For instance..."

"Whoa there!" chimed Cedric. "You know an awful lot for someone who supposedly has no interest in the sport."

Alex felt her face heat up. "I-I...do a lot of reading is all. It's...no big deal."

"What a shame. You would likely make a good player. You've got the right body shape for Quidditch. You'd make an excellent Seeker."

Having Cedric speak of her body so casually made Alex's ears grow even pinker.

_What is going on? My heart is about to explode!_

"Well, here we are."

"Huh?"

Alex couldn't believe they were already at Professor Flitwick's office. Now she didn't have any excuse to hang around Cedric.

"Wait! What am I thinking? Do I really want to hang around this guy?"

"Did you say something?" asked Cedric.

"N-No! Forgive me..."

Cedric nodded. "Well, I really do have to get to class now. It was good meeting you, Alex. We'll see each other around, right?"

"R-Right!" replied Alex a bit  _too_  eagerly. She shot her hand over her mouth.

"You really should think about joining the Quidditch team next year!" yelled Cedric while dashing away. "Who knows? Maybe we'll end up playing against one another."

It was only when he was out of sight that Alex's nerves finally calmed down. She took a deep breath, still bewildered as to why she became so worked up in the first place.

"Maybe I should go see Madam Pomfrey again..."

**#**

Alex, after much hesitation, entered Professor Flitwick's office and explained everything that happened back in the Great Hall. As she did so, she kept her head held low, fully expecting to be banished somewhere unpleasant once her Head of house got through with her.

"Oh dear," said a wide-eyed Professor Flitwick. "Well...I suppose I can at least commend you for coming to me with this news, Worthington. Still, I'm a bit troubled to hear you've not only been skipping class, but you also referred to Ronald Weasley as a...erm...how should I say it?"

The short man had to stand on a bunch of books to reach Alex's eye level, though he still terrified her to no end. She wished he would just scream her head off and get it over with. Tightly shutting her eyes, she braced herself for exactly that.

"A...blood traitor, sir," she said, doing the job for him.

"R-Right," replied Professor Flitwick, cringing at the term. "A...blood...traitor. Miss Worthington, you  _do_  know what that means, don't you?"

Alex gave a solemn nod.

"Well, alright then. And you realize why calling someone such a thing is frowned on in both this school and the wizarding community as a whole?"

Again, she nodded.

"Good. Very good. Now then, what do you plan to do now?"

"What?" she uttered. Why was he asking  _her_  that? Wasn't that his decision? "I...want to apologize to Weasley. No matter what he said about my family, I understand that I crossed a line. I was just so angry. I felt like I had to say  _something_. Um...b-but that by no means condones my actions, sir. My mother says the Weasleys are a wonderful family no matter what people like the Malfoys or other pure-bloods think about them! And as far as I'm concerned, people like that can take all that blood purity stuff and shove it!

"Um...that's...all I had to say, sir. You can ship me off to Azkaban if you'd like now."

"Azkaban?! Heavens no!" Professor Flitwick looked mortified. "W-We wouldn't go  _that_  far, Miss Worthington!"

Alex had been partly joking, though she kept that tidbit to herself.

After composing himself, Professor Flitwick continued. "Thank you for saying all that. Er...n-not the Azkaban part, of course. Anywho, I'm afraid that while that was a very heartfelt apology, I'm going to have to punish you  _somehow_."

Naturally. Gulping, Alex nodded.

"Firstly, I'll have to take five points from Ravenclaw for your remark. Madam Hooch was quite upset as well you missed your Flying lesson, so I'm afraid I'll have to take yet another five. And then there's you being late for Professor Snape's lesson. He's already taken five points for that, so I won't do so."

Hearing this was like body blows to Alex. Still, this was a fair price to pay for her stupidity. She simply regretted costing her house so many points in such a short amount of time. If her fellow Ravenclaws decided to pelt her with fruits and vegetables once she made it back to the common room, she wouldn't blame them.

"However," Professor Flitwick said in a much brighter tone, "in light of you having the courage to come here and tell me all of this, I award you twenty points."

Alex hadn't gotten around to asking if she would be put in Slytherin yet. She wholly expected...

"Wait, what?!" Her head shot up, and her eyes grew twice their usual size. "You're... _awarding_  me points?"

"That's right," said Professor Flitwick with a kind smile. "While we Ravenclaws are unfairly known for stabbing people in the back in order to get ahead, it takes  _true_  wisdom to admit when one is wrong. Isn't that right, Mister Weasley?"

Alex was in for yet another surprise. Ron Weasley stood in the doorway. Bitterness painted the lines of his face, although it was overshadowed by remorse. Unsure of how she felt at him having overheard her entire confession, Alex moved her amber eyes to the floor in embarrassment.

"Did your Mum...really say all that?" he asked. Alex gave him the world's fastest nod. "Actually, my Dad says...your Dad isn't such a crazy bloke. I mean,  _my_  Dad is a crazy bloke, so I guess they have something in common being so obsessed with Muggle stuff. That's why...um..."

Ron blushed profusely. Evidently, apologizing wasn't one of his specialties. Alex sympathized.

"I'm...sorry, Worthington," he stammered. "I shouldn't have had a go at your family. I should've believed you about Malfoy too."

Alex gasped without warning, much to Flitwick's and Ron's confusion. She had completely forgotten about what she asked Draco Malfoy to do. Bringing that up too probably wouldn't be the best idea in light of her having already made up for all the points she lost. There was no sense in mucking things up, right? Besides, she could handle Malfoy herself.

_I'll talk to him and call the whole thing off. Yeah..._

"Is something the matter, Miss Worthington?" asked Professor Flitwick.

"No, sir. May I...go now?"

**#**

Alex didn't have much of an appetite by the time dinner came around. Professor Flitwick forced her to return to the Great Hall when she  _really_  wanted to hide in the Ravenclaw common room with a good book instead. Fortunately, there wasn't anyone muttering about her like she expected. Perhaps that was due to her Head of house's influence. Nonetheless, she caught a few people peeking at her but quickly looking away when she caught wind. Sighing, she gazed at the cold chicken on her plate, she couldn't bring herself to finish it off. It was like a heard of butterflies had taken refuge in her stomach.

"Not going to eat?" Luna asked her, partaking on some steak and kidney pie. "You really should. You're looking rather pale."

"I'm okay," replied Alex in a barely audible voice. She shoved her plate away, giving up. She envied everyone at the Ravenclaw table for being able to stuff their faces with ease.

"Where were you this afternoon? You missed Flying."

"Oh yeah? How did you do?"

Luna smiled serenely. "Horrible. The broom wouldn't even fly to my hand when I shouted 'UP!'"

"W-Why do you look so happy then?"

"Because I don't need to learn how to fly a broomstick."

Alex's face scrunched up in confusion. "Is that so?"

"Yes. Daddy says witches and wizards don't need brooms to fly. The magic is all there. We just aren't believing in ourselves hard enough. Do you believe in yourself, Alex?"

"...Sure."

On second thought, Alex tore into her chicken after all. It meant she didn't have to partake in Luna's nonsense.

"You're not sitting at the Gryffindor table today," noted Luna. 

"Nope."

After what happened this morning, Alex was sure the Gryffindors would tear her apart if she dared sit amongst them. Other than Ron, who she was now on rather friendly terms with, there wasn't anyone there who desired to see. Neville probably suspected her of being a Death Eater in disguise. Speaking of which, she didn't see him eating with the other Gryffindors.

_Hope he's alright..._

She leered back at the Slytherin table. Draco Malfoy was laughing at some unheard joke. She still needed to speak with him concerning Tristan Thorne, yet, she couldn't risk approaching him or his house without arousing even more suspicion. 

"Did something happen this morning?" asked Luna. "The whole Great Hall was abuzz."

"What?" said Alex, not really listening. She busied overhearing Malfoy bragging to his friends about having flown on a broomstick long before his arrival at Hogwarts. Maybe she could catch him alone in the hallways? No, that wouldn't work. He was always flanked by Crabbe and Goyle. "Oh. That's right. You weren't here. Uh...n-not really. Don't worry about it."

"If you say so."

"Shoot!"

Alex ducked her head and made an effort to look casual when Malfoy, with Crabbe and Goyle in tow, suddenly got to his feet. Luna turned her head in confusion though (thankfully in Alex's opinion) didn't ask any more questions. Alex at first feared Malfoy was coming to speak with her. Instead, he and his cronies slithered their way over to the Gryffindor table.

_What's he up to this time?_

Harry Potter was the one he eventually approached. Alex moved her head as close as she could to where they were while still looking as natural as possible. Even so, she attracted a few curious glances from her fellow Ravenclaws.

"You're a lot braver now that you're back on the ground," Harry said coolly, "and you've got your little friends with you."

Whatever was going on was rather tense. Now Alex understood why Harry and Ron had snapped at her at breakfast. They had some sort of grudge against Malfoy (surprise, surprise) and assumed she was in cahoots with him. 

"I'd take you on anytime on my own," replied Malfoy, trembling in anger. "Tonight, if you want. Wizard's duel."

"W-Wizard's duel?!" repeated Alex. "He can't be serious!"

Then again, it  _was_ Malfoy. He likely challenged people to life or death struggles on a daily basis.

"What are you doing?" asked Luna, fixing her head exactly like Alex's.

"Ah!" Alex half near fell out of her chair in fright. "D- _Don't_  do that!"

"Are we eavesdropping? Lovely," hummed Luna.

Alex figured she wasn't going to get her friend to mind her own business, so she merely frowned and went back to snooping on Malfoy's conversation.

"Of course he has," said Ron, joining in on the fun. "I'm his second, who's yours?"

After sizing up both Crabbe and Goyle, Malfoy answered, "Crabbe."

"He's just going to bring both of them," noted Alex. She shook her head. Harry and Ron had no clue what they were getting themselves into with this wizard's duel. Malfoy would use every dirty trick in the book to win. "I should probably warn them."

"This sounds dangerous," said Luna.

"It is. Now, hush up before they realize we're listening."

"We'll meet you in the trophy room; that's always unlocked," said Malfoy.

The trophy room. Alex knew where that was and was confident she could make it there before any blood was spilled. She could warn Harry and Ron they were likely walking into a trap while also getting the chance to speak to Malfoy without any nosy teachers or students getting in her way. 

Two birds with one stone.

The heated discussion was apparently over since Malfoy and his goons returned to the Slytherin table. He momentarily turned to where Alex was but lost interest when he saw her doing nothing but eating her meal. Once she determined the coast was clear, Alex looked back over to where he was.

"He's just intent on making as many enemies as he can, huh?"

"What are you going to do?" asked Luna.

"I'm going to..." Alex caught herself. "N-Nothing! Nothing at all. It's...none of our business."

"I think you're lying," said Luna matter-of-factly. "You're going to go to the trophy room this evening, aren't you?"

Talking to someone who was as blunt as a baseball bat was a new experience for Alex.

"Alright! Fine!" she grumbled. "I...need to take care of something! You're not going to go and tell on me, are you?"

Luna, sucking on her fork, answered, "I don't have any reason to, no. Honestly, it sounds like fun. How about I make up your bed so it looks like you're sleeping in it? Then, I'll make anyone who tries to come and check on you go away."

"Wait, you'd...do that for me? The two of us could get into some serious trouble if I'm found outside of the common room past curfew."

Speaking of which, was her business  _really_  that urgent for her to risk getting in trouble again? Professor Flitwick had rewarded her just hours ago. If Filch and Mrs. Norris caught her out of bed...

"Are you nervous?" inquired Luna.

"N-No!" insisted Alex. "I'm...just..."

"You can do it, Alex. I know you can."

Turning pink, Alex wasn't sure what to say. Luna, for reasons beyond her, had an unflappable faith in her. It not only encouraged her but made her feel like she could actually do this and get away with it.

"Okay. I'm counting on you, Luna."

"You are? What sorts of numbers are you seeing?"

"N-No. I didn't mean...nevermind."

Alex palmed her hand over her face. Maybe relying on Loony Lovegood wasn't such a good idea after all.

**#**

The evening dragged on at a snail's pace. While the book the Grey Lady recommended was interesting, Alex couldn't focus on it whatsoever. Slamming it shut, she left the warmth of the fireplace in the Ravenclaw common room and walked up the staircase leading to the dormitory. Luna was there resting on the bed opposite hers.

"Ready?" she asked.

"...Not really," croaked Alex. She was sweating like a stuffed pig, and the butterflies rumbling in her stomach were back and brought reinforcements. "You think I should bring my wand?"

"It wouldn't hurt. Unless you accidentally cast a curse on yourself."

"I'll...keep that in mind."

She still had time to back out of this. It wasn't like anyone was counting on her showing up in the trophy room. ...Except for Harry and Ron. And Tristan Thorne technically if Malfoy was going to pull a Malfoy like she feared. She sighed. Her hands were tied. She tucked her wand into her pocket and prayed she wouldn't have to use it.

"I'm zapping that stupid cat though if I see it," she stated. "What's the time?"

"Half past eleven. Everyone else is just about sleep."

"What about the Prefects?"

"Who can say? They might be out wandering the halls."

Sometimes Luna could be  _too_  honest. Alex, grimacing, shrugged and supposed it was better to know what she was possibly up against. She had never done anything as daring as sneaking out of a common room late in the night. She would no doubt lose more than fifty points for Ravenclaw if Filch got his grubby hands on her.

That would pretty much be a death sentence.

"Might have to zap him too," she mumbled.

"Might I suggest a hex?" said Luna.

"No."

"Okay. Good luck then. Oh, and watch out for Nargles. They like to come out at night."

Luna waved as Alex tiptoed her way back down into the common room. Per Luna's words, the room was devoid of students. Everything was eerie this late and with so little light pouring in through the arched windows. The statue of Rowena Ravenclaw near the bookcase was particularly creepy. Alex swore it was going to come to life and try to stop her. It didn't, thankfully, and she eased past it and to the door. It swung open with the lightest touch. 

"Thank goodness I don't have to solve a stupid riddle going  _out_..."

Much to her relief, there wasn't anyone guarding the outside. Perhaps all the Prefects had gone to sleep too. She certainly hoped so. 

"Well...here we go."

"What are you doing, Rich Girl?"

Alex screamed, though Tristan Thorne hurriedly put his hand over her mouth, muffling it.

"What are you doing, Rich Girl?!" he repeated. "Trying to get us busted?!"

"Mfff! Mffff! Mmmmmm!"

He couldn't understand a thing she was saying, so he reluctantly removed his hand.

" _Don't_  do that!" she shouted, punching him in the shoulder.

"Ow!" he cried. "Why are you always hitting me?!"

"Because you...!"

Alex paused. It took her brain some time to process that Tristan Thorne, the Tristan Thorne she was peeved at, was the one standing before her. He frowned, picking up on the hostility practically radiating from her being.

"Alright, alright! You don't have to say anything, Princess."

"Could you  _please_ just call me by my name already?!"

"Nope."

Alex grit her teeth. "Jerk!"

"Hey! Keep your voice down!"

"Fine!" Alex backed away before he could get all touchy-feely again. "What are you even doing out here?"

"...None of your business, Rich Girl. How about you?"

"None of your business," answered Alex with a satisfied smile. "I've got to be somewhere, so..."

"Hold on a second."

Tossing her arms in the air in frustration, Alex wheeled back around. "What is it?"

"Chill out. I'm trying to apologize for the other day, okay?" said Tristan, rubbing the back of his head.

"...Come again?"

"You're seriously going to make me repeat myself?"

"That's right!"

Tristan smacked his lips. "Jeez. The rich and famous sure are demanding."

"Call me rich one more time! I've got a wand! I'll..fry that pretty face of yours to a crisp!"

"You think it's pretty?"

Alex's ears went pink. "D-Don't change the subject!"

She pulled the wand in question out, pointing it right at the object of her ire. Tristan's blue eyes zeroed in on it, though a smile spread across his lips.

"What's so funny?" asked Alex. She grew suspicious. 

"Nothing. You've just got a lot more spunk than I gave you credit for. Fine. I'm...sorry for making fun of the fact you're filthy rich and can buy anything your heart desires."

"I'm warning you!"

The tip of Alex's wand began to glow bright red. Tristan had no clue what curse she was planning on using, but he opted not to press his luck.

"Okay! Okay! I... _maybe_  jumped the gun about you being a spoiled brat. Look, it's just..."

"What? What is it?"

Tristan wasn't smiling anymore. Rather, Alex couldn't help but notice his pained expression. What wasn't he telling her?

"How about I make it up to you?" he suggested.

"Oh? How so?"

"Whatever you're doing, let me tag along. If you ask me, you're up to something that could get you into a heap of trouble."

"Afraid I'll lose Ravenclaw a lot of points?"

"On the contrary, sneaking around and breaking the rules is my style. Besides, you're practically shaking in your boots there, Rich Girl, so..."

"I-I am  _not_!"

She really was. Her legs were chattering so badly in fact that she could hardly move. What remained of her pride shriveled up into an unrecognizable mess.

"Fine!" she angrily whispered. "I...could use the help anyway. Do you have a wand?"

"What kind of question is that?" Tristan pulled out his wand in the blink of an eye. It was  _a lot_  taller than Alex's. "See? I could've knocked that toothpick you're holding away whenever I pleased."

Thoroughly defeated, Alex could do nothing more than stammer in disbelief. 

"Let's just go already!" she barked, taking the lead.

"Whatever you say, Princess," replied Tristan with a chuckle.

" _Stop_  calling me that!"

"Nope."

Alex might not have been good at any hexes or curses (Professor Quirrell wasn't the best teacher, unfortunately), but she was more than willing to try one if her new partner-in-crime kept running his mouth.

_He's_ **_nothing_  ** _like Cedric! He could learn a thing or two from him!_

The two eased their way through the castle. Alex could concede that Tristan knew more about Hogwarts' layout than she did. Plus, he claimed to have a sure-fire shortcut to the trophy room. The sooner they got there, the better, so she followed the directions he told her.

For the most part.

"No, turn right up here."

"I heard you the first time!"

"No, you didn't. You went left. I said turn right."

"How about I turn my foot up your rear end?"

"Why is it always violence with you?"

Alex, at her wit's end, took the damnable right he insisted on. Moonlight seeped in from the nearby windows, giving the two of them at least a bit of light to work with. The castle was quiet tonight. That was good since it meant Alex would be able to hear Filch's or Mrs. Norris' footsteps inching toward them. The two were no doubt scurrying about. 

"Up here," said Tristan, gesturing toward a staircase.

"Are you  _sure_  the trophy room is up there?" asked Alex. She narrowed her eyelids. "How do I know you aren't in cahoots with Filch?"

"You think  _I'm_  going to give us away? Rich Girl, you  _clearly_ don't know who I am."

He started up the stairs without her, leaving her to contemplate the meaning of his words. Giving up, she made haste to follow after him.

"Why are you coming here anyway, Rich Girl?"

"Quit asking me that."

"I'd quit asking if you'd..."

"Wait! Shut up!"

"Huh? You're the one that...!"

"I said  _shut up_! Listen!"

The two reached the top of the staircase, and Alex could see the trophy room through the crack of the door right ahead of them. She could also see a pair of shadows that made her heart sink.

"Sniff around, my sweet, they might be lurking in a corner."

"Filch!" whispered Alex in a panic. "What's  _he_  doing here?!"

"I think you've been set up, Rich Girl!" said Tristan, growling. "Let's get out of here!"

Of course. Malfoy really  _had_  set a trap. Alex ran for dear life alongside Tristan and swore she would make her Slytherin friend pay  _dearly_  for wasting her time.

"They're in here somewhere," she heard Filch mutter. He was in the trophy room now. Another couple of steps and he would have caught them for sure, "probably hiding."

"Wait." Alex realized something as she continued to flee. "Malfoy couldn't have known I was coming. Does that mean...?"

"Quit spacing out on me, Princess!" said Tristan. "This way!"

The two stopped to a crawl, quietly making their way through a corridor filled to the brim with suits of armor. Filch was around somewhere and getting closer, making Alex hold her breath. The darkness of the castle had been convenient for moving around in secret, but now it had turned against her. Filch could have been right behind her, and she would never have seen him in time. She could also hear another flurry of footsteps, ones that were  _much_ nearer. Did Filch have a few accomplices? Or maybe Mrs. Norris had a pack of kittens Alex didn't know about. Whatever the case, her heart was thoroughly pounding now.

"Tristan...?"

"Don't talk."

"But..."

"I hear something!"

"Kittens?"

"What? No! Shut up!"

He froze. A sullen-faced boy was staring back at him. Neville Longbottom screamed at nearly the same time Tristan did.

"Neville?!" hollered Alex in confusion. He wasn't alone.

"Worthington?" squeaked Ron Weasley. "What are  _you_  doing here?!"

"Trying to save your skin, Weasley!"

"What are you on about?"

"Who cares?!" yelled Harry Potter tiredly. "We're all going to get caught if we don't move!"

"There's no way Filch didn't hear those two screaming!" stated Hermoine Granger.

"I see the whole gang is here," said Alex. Well, at least this meant Malfoy hadn't gotten to them.

"These the people you were looking for?" asked Tristan. Alex thought that a  _really_  dumb question in light of the conversation he was listening to. "What?"

"Friend of yours?" said Ron.

"WHO CARES?!" repeated Harry. "We can do introductions later!"

A sinister 'meow' told everyone that Mrs. Norris was drawing dangerously close. Neville was the first to crack. He grabbed Alex around the waist, causing the two of them to crash into a suit of armor. The whole thing broke apart, making a terrible racket. Alex, holding her breath, knew it was more than enough to wake up the entire castle and then some.

"RUN!" Harry shouted. He needn't say any more. The six of them ran as hard as their legs would carry them. None of them had the heart to look back and see if Filch was in pursuit. Alex noticed Tristan was dragging her in the complete opposite direction of the Ravenclaw common room, but she didn't get the chance to say so. With Harry in the lead, the group went through hallway after hallway. It got to the point where Alex couldn't recognize any of the scenery. 

"Uh...guys?" she said, speaking up as they sprinted through a tapestry. "Tell me there's a plan here!"

"Yeah! It's called 'shut up before we're caught!'" replied Tristan.

"I quite like that plan," remarked Ron.

"Is this  _really_  the time for jokes?! Honestly!" said Hermoine furiously. 

"For once, I agree with you," said Alex. Despite the vote of confidence, Hermoine scowled even harder. "Say, isn't this the Charms classroom?"

She said that as they came out the end of a hidden passageway. If the goal was to get as far away from the trophy room as possible, then they succeeded with flying colors. Unfortunately, the Charms room was miles away from any of the common rooms.

"I think we've lost him," gasped Harry. He rested against a wall, wiping his dripping forehead.

"Fantastic," moaned Alex, stretching her aching arm. Tristan had nearly torn it out of the socket.  "Now what?"

Neville, looking on the verge of throwing up, was hunched over and wheezing like a dying animal. Alex came to his aid by rubbing his back.

"Thanks," he managed to choke out.

"I  _told_  you!" roared Hermoine just then. As much as she craved to scream everyone's head off, she too was out of breath. She settled on irate whispering. "I...told you."

"We need to get back to Gryffindor tower," said Ron, "as quickly as possible."

"Speak for yourself," barked Tristan, taking a seat on the ground. "Rich Girl and I need to get to Ravenclaw tower, and that's in the complete other direction."

"Well, good luck with that, mate," replied Ron with a shrug.

"Why you...!"

"Leave him alone, Tristan," said Alex. "Beating him up won't help us. Besides, he's right. There's more of them than us. They stand the greater chance of getting in trouble. I say we get them back to their common room and then head for ours."

"You're joking." Tristan couldn't believe what he was hearing. "I thought the rich and wealthy were supposed to be selfish?"

"Sorry to disappoint you."

Tristan shook his head. "Can I at least get an explanation for why all you kids are out here? Is this some twisted game of tag you're playing with Filch?"

"Of course not!  _These_ two," cried Hermoine, who pointed right at Harry and Ron, "were stupid enough to let Malfoy trick them! You both  _do_  realize that, don't you? He was never going to meet you! Filch knew someone was going to be in the trophy room tonight. Malfoy must have tipped him off."

"Sounds about right," said Alex, groaning at how stiff and sore her legs were. She had done enough exercise for a month. "I...was trying to find Potter and Weasley so I could warn them of something like that. I overheard Malfoy gloating about beating them in a wizard's duel. Still, I thought he really would show, just with about twenty Slytherins backing him up. Honestly, we're in safer hands with Filch and Mrs. Norris when you think about it."

"Sorry to say that doesn't make me feel better," grumbled Harry. "Let's go."

That was easier said than done. Alex couldn't remember what path they had taken to get where they were, and she was positive none of the others did either. The best case scenario was them wandering around in the dark for hours and successfully avoiding Filch and a harsh punishment. Reaching for her wand, Alex wondered if there were any spells she knew that could get them out of this jam faster.

"No," said Tristan once he saw what she was up to. "Filch would hear us for sure if you use any magic."

"He's right, you know," added Hermoine.

"Shut up," Alex told them both, snarling and putting her wand away. 

"She's annoying, right?" said Ron, nodding toward Hermoine. "This bloke too it seems."

"Watch it, kid!" warned Tristan.

"Yes, let's kill each other before Filch can get the chance," said Alex in exhaustion. "Good thinking."

The dysfunctional group was nearly out of the Charms room when a nearby doorknob suddenly moved on its own, prompting everyone to stop. Something then came soaring out from their right. Alex thought it a good idea to grab hold of her wand again.

"Oh no," said Tristan as he eyed Peeves cackling high above them. "Not good."

"Shut up, Peeves," pleaded Harry. " _Please_. You'll get us caught."

Peeves laughed a bit harder. Clearly, negotiating wasn't going to work.

"Forget him," suggested Alex. "Let's just go."

"Wandering around at midnight, Ickle Firsties? Tut, tut, tut! Naugty, naughty, you'll get caughty."

"Not if you don't give us away, Peeves, please," said Harry, again finding himself drenched in a cold sweat. 

But Peeves didn't seem to be listening. Or, as Alex was certain of, he was enjoying watching them squirm. "Should tell Filch, I should. It's for your own good, you know."

"Forget this!" snapped Ron. He whipped out his wand. "Let's just blast him out of our way!"

"Now you're speaking my language, kid!" said Tristan, grabbing his wand as well. 

"What happened to magic making too much noise?" said Alex. "There's no point anyway. Don't you two pay attention in class? Any spell you used..."

"...would simply go through him harmlessly," said Hermoine. "He's a ghost, remember?"

Alex wasn't exactly fond of Hermoine stealing her thunder, but she let it go since she could appreciate  _someone_ there besides her knowing what they were doing.

"Alright then!"

Ron opted for a more personal approach, taking a swipe at Peeves using his hand. That ended up being the worst possible decision.

"STUDENTS OUT OF BED!" the poltergeist hollered. "STUDENTS OUT OF BED DOWN THE CHARMS CORRIDOR!"

The six bolted, rushing right past Peeves.

"We should've just done that from the start!" voiced Alex. She soon saw that it wouldn't have mattered. The door they reached at the end of the hallway was locked.

"This is it!" said Ron, putting his hands on the sides of his head. "We're done for! This is the end!"

"Great to see you're still motivated, kid!" barked Tristan sarcastically. He and the others pushed against the door, but it was no use. "Who's not pulling their weight?!"

"Sorry I weigh less than a hundred pounds!" said Alex testily. "You're a Ravenclaw, right?! Use your head then!"

"If you've got any ideas, Rich Girl, I'd  _love_ to hear them instead of you running your mouth!"

Footsteps stormed toward them. It was Filch. It had to be. Thanks to Peeves, their worst nightmare was heading their way.

"Oh, move out of the way already!" Hermoine suddenly snatched Harry's wand and tapped it against the lock preventing them from reaching freedom. " _Alohomora_!" 

The lock clicked open, and the door did the same.

"...I knew that," said Alex, blushing slightly. She and the others rushed through the new opening before shutting it behind them. It seemed Filch hadn't seen them after all. Everyone pressed their ears against the door to track his movement. Alex, on the other hand, let out a long groan and twirled her wand around. "This is the worst night of my life."

"What makes you so special?" Ron asked her.

"Oh, shut up."

"Which way did they go, Peeves?!" everyone hard Filch cry. "Quick, tell me!"

"Say 'please,' Filchy-Wilchy."

"Don't mess with me, Peeves! Now  _where did they go_?!"

"Shan't say nothing if you don't say please!"

"I really hate his stupid voice," muttered Alex.

"I agree. Are you sure we can't use any spells on that bastard?" asked Tristan.

"Leave him," advised Harry. "He's Filch's problem now."

"True."

"All right!" Filch said in defeat. " _Please_."

"NOTHING! Ha haaa! Told you I wouldn't say nothing if you didn't say please! Ha ha! Haaaa!"

The distinct sound of rushing air told everyone that Peeves was flying away triumphantly. Filch marched after him, using every swear word in the book as he went.

"Why is he leaving?" wondered Ron in a shaky voice.

"He thinks the door is locked," Harry realized. "I think we'll be okay if we—get  _off_ , Neville!"

He wasn't sure why Neville insisted on tugging at his bathrobes, but it was starting to get on his nerves. 

"Uh...Potter?" stammered Alex. "You... _may_  want to turn around."

"What?"

Harry did exactly that.

And immediately wished he hadn't. It had to be the stress of the night getting to him. Truly, this couldn't be real.

"...That is one  _big_  dog," remarked Tristan breathlessly.

They weren't in a normal room at all, let alone a supposedly safe one. This was yet another corridor. Alex hadn't been paying much attention to Dumbledore's warnings during the start-of-term feast, though she  _did_ recall him mentioning that  _everyone_  should stay away from the hallway on the third floor.

_This_  was the third floor. And  _this_  was that very corridor he warned about. She and the others fully comprehended why it was forbidden now.

The dog Tristan mentioned earlier made Fang seem like a termite. It was as big as the entire space around them. No, bigger. Clearly, someone hadn't taken its three heads in mind when designing the space. Everything about the creature came in threes. Its trio of insane, yellow eyes that darted in every direction. Its three noses which were sniffing wildly. Worst of all though was its three drooling mouths. They not only gave off a horrible stench, but the strands of saliva hanging down them formed disgusting ropes from their fangs. Alex covered her mouth and took a few steps back. Her legs nearly gave out. 

"Don't...move!" Tristan slowly told her. "Nobody move!"

Almost no one could anyway, so heeding his advice wasn't difficult. The monster peering down at them wasn't moving a muscle either. That was only on account of the six having caught it by surprise with their sudden appearance. None of them figured that would last much longer. The creature's snarling transformed into full-on, rabid growling. It was easy to decipher.

"Plan... _now_!" Alex demanded. She held her wand feebly in front of her, yet, she doubted any spell she could muster would put so much as a scratch on their  _very_  huge problem.

"Working on it!" whispered Harry as he reached for the doorknob behind him. Filch might have come back, but he was more than willing to take the nosy caretaker over being eaten by a three-headed monstrosity.

Everyone fell back into him as he at last got the door open. The moment they were outside, and thus into safety, he slammed the door shut. Afterward, they all made a desperate break for it, not caring if they crashed into Filch while they did so. 

"We're going this way, Rich Girl!" shouted Tristan, pulling her down the right corridor instead of the left the Gryffindors took. "I'll answer whatever riddles that stupid eagle has so long as we make it back to the common room!"

"I'll...see you at breakfast tomorrow, Neville!" Alex hollered. Screaming at the top of his lungs, Neville somehow managed to nod.

Tristan didn't stop until he and Alex finally reached the eagle knocker.

"Quick!" he blurted. "What's the riddle?! Give us the riddle!"

Perhaps a bit taken aback, the knocker took some time before responding, "If your uncle's sister is not your aunt, what relation is she to you?"

"Your mother! Your mother!" cried Alex. 

"Why are you insulting it?!" asked Tristan.

"No, you idiot! That's the answer! Open the bloody door already!"

"A panicked reply can still be the correct one," sung the eagle before it granted her request. She and Tristan didn't miss a beat, dashing into the common room as if it would suddenly disappear if they didn't. As the door slammed behind her, Alex lost her foot and let herself hit the floor in a panting, sweat-covered mess. Tristan, standing over her, shook his head.

"...Who were you calling an idiot back there?"

"...Don't talk to me right now. I'm trying not to go into cardiac arrest..."

Holding his arms up defensively, Tristan backed away and into the comfort of one of the armchairs. Every inch of him shrieked in pain, and he was sure he had burned a good fifteen pounds doing so much running.

"Okay, Worthington," he gasped, "be straight with me. What the hell was that dog and why is it in this school?"

Alex limped her way over to a chair in front of him. "...How should I know? I've never seen that thing before in my life!"

"Alright, let me ask a  _different_  question. Does it have something to do with why you and those other kids were wandering the halls?"

Alex slumped in her chair and somehow managed to think straight despite all the adrenaline still coursing through her. "No. I already told you: I was there to stop Malfoy from killing Harry and Ron. I don't know why Neville and Granger were with them. All of... _that_  that just happened was only an awful coincidence.

"Still, I-I might have just imagined it but...that dog...it was standing on something. It was small. A pouch or something."

"And?"

"Look, it's a long story, but Hagrid..."

"Hagrid?"

"The gamekeeper. Be quiet and let me finish."

She went through the trouble of telling Tristan about what she overheard while having tea at Hagrid's hut last week. 

"I get it," he said once she finished. "So, this Hagrid guy or whatever took something out of Gringgots. And you're saying whatever that is..."

"...is probably what that monster was guarding. I obviously can't say for sure though."

It made the most sense. Maybe a bunch of goblins couldn't guard whatever Hagrid yearned to keep secret, but a giant three-headed dog sure could. She trembled just thinking about the beast again. This whole situation was completely insane. If the rest of the school were to find out what was lurking behind closed doors on the third floor... 

"Let me give you a piece of advice, Worthington," said Tristan, looking deadly serious all of a sudden. "Keep what you've told me a secret."

"Come again?"

"You don't want  _anything_  to do with this mess. In fact, you already know more than you should. If Hogwarts would go as far as to secretly have that dog staying here, whatever it's guarding must be something serious. They could  _kill_  you for having found out."

Alex turned as pale as one of the ghosts in Hogwarts. "Don't...you think that's a bit extreme? Professor Dumbledore wouldn't..."

Tristan shook his head. "You don't know what a guy like Dumbledore is thinking. If you ask me, he's a total nutjob. Why they've let him stay on as Headmaster is beyond me. Just listen to what I'm saying, Worthington. You'll thank me later."

Maybe he was onto something. The two continued to stare at one another without saying anything. Alex had a good hunch she wouldn't be getting much rest tonight. There was too much to think about, too much to consider. Why would Hogwarts risk the safety of every student at the school by having that creature locked behind a flimsy door? She just didn't get it. What in the world was it protecting?

"You're back. I take it the mission went well then?"

Alex looked over to see Luna Lovegood standing atop the dormitory staircase. She couldn't believe the girl had stayed up all this time.

"To be perfectly honest," she began, rubbing her weary eyelids, "I really don't know. I don't understand anything anymore."

She almost longed for this morning, where the only thing she had to fret over was calling someone a 'filthy blood traitor.' 

**END**


	5. GODDESS OF VICTORY

"You tried to have Malfoy  _ kill _ me?!"

"N-Not kill! Only curse! Maybe make your nose run uncontrollably or—wait! Where are you going?!"

Alex doubted any good could come from Tristan marching over to the Slytherin table. Like usual, Malfoy made himself easy to find, yucking it up with his friends. However, he more resembled a deer in headlights that morning when Tristan suddenly lifted him up by the front of his robes.

"W-What are you doing?!" he hollered fearfully. 

"You've got some explaining to do, punk!" 

"Put him  _ down _ , Tristan!" pleaded Alex, rushing over to him and yanking at his arms. Unfortunately, he was a lot bigger  _ and  _ stronger than either she or Malfoy, meaning the effort didn't do much good.

Crabbe and Goyle stood and went to defend their leader, but Tristan shoved them aside with ease. Their huge size didn't help much with someone older.

"It's over, Tristan!" said Alex. She tugged at his arm even harder. "Let it go!"

But Tristan neither wanted to let Malfoy or this grudge go. He clenched his fist and aimed it straight for Malfoy's pale face.

"Thorne!" shouted a very cold and threatening voice. " _ Put. Him. Down _ !"

Severus Snape, Hogwarts' potions master, had arrived on the scene. Although he really didn't want to, Tristan smacked his lips and 'allowed' Malfoy to fall roughly to the ground. Snape was quick to check on the boy, leading Alex to raise an eyebrow. He was never so caring and attentive to  _ her  _ during Potions. 

"H-He just attacked me out of nowhere, sir! Crabbe and Goyle too!" a teary-eyed Malfoy stammered while pointing a quivering finger at Tristan. This was no doubt an act to curry favor with Snape, though Alex had to admit Malfoy wasn't exactly lying for once. 

"He was going to hex me!" shouted Tristan.

"Be quiet, boy!" hissed Snape. For a number of intense seconds, Alex feared the shaking Tristan would go after Snape next. Assaulting a teacher wouldn't lead to anything pleasant. He had to understand  _ that  _ much, she thought. "Professor Flitwick will be hearing about this! And for the time being..."

"Here it comes," groaned Alex.

"That's five points from Ravenclaw!"

Alex, fighting back the urge to protest, merely dragged Tristan away from the volatile scene before he cost their house even more points. With the way Snape was snatching them away left and right, Ravenclaw had to be in dead last. Alex hadn't the heart to check the hourglass of sapphires to be sure.

"I should've broken his crooked nose!" voiced Tristan once he and Alex were at the safety of the Ravenclaw table. A number of students eating breakfast jumped in fright when he abruptly punched the table. "Everyone knows Snape sucks up to the punks in his own house!"

"Just calm down already," said Alex, who was tired of having to repeat herself. "It's not Malfoy's fault anyway...as much as I can't believe I'm saying that.  _ I'm _ the one who put him up to it."

"Oh yeah. That's  _ right _ ." Tristan faced her, cracking his knuckles. "Maybe it's  _ your _ nose I should be breaking!"

"No, please..." squeaked Alex, curling into a ball. "I've got enough on my plate—no pun intended—thinking about what happened last night."

" _ What _ ? Didn't I tell you to forget all that? Stay out of it, Rich Girl! Hey! Are you listening to me?!"

Alex wasn't. Rather, she was busy walking over to the Gryffindor table.

"Hi, Neville," she said, taking a seat next to him.

Spooked by her sudden appearance, he jumped a bit. "O-Oh. ...Hello."

He was even more crestfallen than usual. Pale as well. Alex didn't have to guess why. No doubt he too couldn't get that three-headed dog out of his mind. Alex dreamed it had broken into the Ravenclaw common room to eat her before waking up in a cold sweat.

"Are you alright?" she inquired.

"N-Not really," he admitted. "Didn't...uh...get much sleep."

"I hear you on that. Actually, I..."

"How about you eat at your own table for once, Worthington?" said Ron, sitting across from her.

"Save it, Weasley," she replied. She took the liberty of snatching a piece of bacon off his plate and eating it.

"Hey!"

Neville stared at the lot of them in complete astonishment, unsure as to how any of them could have some semblance of an appetite. 

"What was going on over there with Malfoy?" asked Harry, who eyed Alex with the bit of caution he and Ron usually did. "Not that I'm complaining about him being knocked on his rear end."

"Oh...that was...nothing," said Alex quietly. She was quick to change the subject. "So, tell me what that dog was guarding. You two have figured it out, right? Is it whatever Hagrid took from Gringotts?"

Harry choked on the glass of orange juice he had been enjoying. "How do you know about that?!"

"Wait, it was supposed to be a secret? It was easy to put together after what I saw last night. Hagrid even admitted he took something out of Gringotts on your birthday. Isn't that what you said, Potter?"

"Hey! Be quiet about that!" whispered Ron. " _ Great _ . Leave it to a nosy Ravenclaw to work all that out..."

Alex smiled proudly, taking his words as a compliment.

"Stay out of this," Harry commanded her.

"Or what?" she replied. "You two are probably planning on going back to that room and figuring out what that dog is guarding, right?"

"Are you  _ mad _ ?!" said Ron, horrified. "Of course not!"

"But you  _ are _ wondering what it's guarding."

Ron said nothing this time. The way his eyes darted about though gave Alex the answer she needed.

"Well, I wanna know too," she said, making sure to keep her voice low. Professor McGonagall was patrolling the Gryffindor table.  "You reckon it's something really important?"

"You reckon you could leave us alone already?" snapped Ron.

"Could you all  _ please _ stop talking about that?" moaned Hermione Granger, trying and failing to look over her Charms homework. "We all nearly  _ died _ in case you've forgotten! Now, quit talking about it before Professor McGonagall hears you. Don't you realize we'll be  _ expelled _ if anyone realizes we were out of our beds last night?"

"Oh, really? And here I thought we'd get a medal or something for successfully avoiding Filch and his stupid cat," said Alex, shaking her head. Ron got a good laugh out of that one, whereas Hermione gave Alex the nastiest look she could muster. Alex conceded she had a point, but still, being scolded like she was a five year old wasn't something she enjoyed. Neville groaned, meanwhile, and covered his ears. He wanted nothing to do with the conversation.

" _ Go _ !" Harry told Alex. "And don't tell anyone about this!"

Too late. Alex had already relayed most of what she knew to Luna and Tristan. She kept that 'minor' detail to herself, however.

"Fine," she said, holding her nose high. "I've no reason to get myself in trouble by telling on you two but  _ don't _ think this is over. Goodbye, Neville. I'll see you later."

Neville whimpered, mumbling something that sounded like, "Okay...". As she went, she could have sworn she overheard Ron calling her a 'git.' 

"You  _ are _ a git," Tristan told her once she rejoined him at the Ravenclaw table. "Potter and Weasley are right. Don't go poking your nose where it doesn't belong, Princess. If they want to go off and get themselves killed, let them, but that doesn't mean..."

"Can you pass the salt?"

Tristan lost his train of thought on account of the sudden request.

"If you ask me," said Luna Lovegood, peering up from her issue of  _ The Quibbler  _ and handing Alex the salt in question, "I think that dog you mentioned is guarding the Crumple-Horned Snorkacks."

"Unless they can fit in a pouch you could hold in your hand, I highly doubt it," said Alex, sighing. "Still, I can't imagine what could be so small but so dangerous that Hogwarts would have to resort to such extreme measures to keep it safe. Do you know of anything like that, Tristan?"

In the middle of wolfing down sausages, Tristan ignored her.

"Don't be like that. You're not interested in the slightest by all this?"

"Nope," he said with a full mouth. "And you shouldn't be either. That's what I'm trying to tell you. If you wanna be a brave idiot, you should've been sorted into Gryffindor."

"Ravenclaws can be brave too! ...I think."

Admittedly, it wasn't courage steering her on but a growing sense of curiosity. If she was being perfectly honest, encountering that horrible, three-headed dog again wasn't high on her list. Nevertheless, she wasn't one who enjoyed being left out of a mystery, especially a compelling one like this. She would figure out what was going on whether Harry or Ron wanted her to or not. 

"It's your grave, Princess," said Tristan, shaking his head. "Don't say I didn't try to warn you."

"What? You want a medal too?"

"Since when have you two been friends?" mused Luna curiously, surveying them both with unnaturally large eyes. "You're getting on rather nicely these days."

"We aren't!" the two said in unison. They then glared at each other.

"Get out of my head. That's not cute," said Tristan.

"No,  _ you're _ copying  _ me _ !" countered Alex. 

"I don't have enough money to copy off anything you do."

"Why does it always go back to money with you, jerk?! If you want money so badly, just take all of mine! It sounds like you would be  _ much _ happier with it!"

"Hey, that's not a bad idea."

"Oh, a creep like you  _ would _ agree to that!"

"Watch it! Who do you think you're calling a creep?!"

The two kept on trading jabs, attracting worried glances from their fellow Ravenclaws. Luna, meanwhile, lost interest and went back to her _ Quibbler _ , spotting a most curious article concerning Albus Dumbledore and an alleged link to goblins in his family line. 

**#**

Despite Alex's eagerness to help Harry and Ron determine what that three-headed dog was protecting, they were far less enthusiastic about the idea. They were also doing a very good job of avoiding her. Whenever she approached them during breakfast or in the corridors, they would practically run for their lives before she could open her mouth. With Hermione and Neville wanting nothing to do with the whole thing, Alex ran into a dead end. 

Desperate times called for desperate measures.

"Go into the Gryffindor common room?" said Professor Flitwick in shock a week later when Alex suddenly burst into his office and demanded an audience. "What for, my dear?"

"R-Reasons..." was the only thing she could think to say.

"Well, I'm afraid 'reasons' isn't a good enough...erm...reason. I'm sorry, but Ravenclaw students aren't allowed in Gryffindor's common room. Or any other common rooms for that matter. If this is about some Gryffindor boy you fancy, Miss Worthington, then I'm afraid you'll just have to wait to see him at breakfast tomorrow morning."

"It's not boy troubles, sir. It's..."

Alex grew quiet. Telling the whole truth, while admirable, would also land herself and the others on that fateful night in the trophy room in serious trouble. She stood and wasn't sure what her next move would be. Professor Flitwick was likely her last hope.

_ Maybe if I go back and ask that dog nicely, it'll spill the beans. _

She couldn't even laugh at the feeble, suicidal idea.

"One moment, Miss Worthington," said Professor Flitwick, moving his tiny legs to catch up to her. "It's good you came into my office today actually. There's something important I nearly neglected to tell you."

"There is? Am I in trouble, sir?"

Professor Flitwick chuckled heartily. "Nothing of the sort, my dear. In fact, you could consider this a most wondrous opportunity!"

There he went using the word 'wondrous' again. Thoroughly intrigued, Alex followed him out of his office. All sorts of possibilities came to her, but the one place she  _ really _ desired to go—the Gryffindor common room—likely wasn't one of them.

She and the Professor turned a corner, stumbling upon a sight she had grown accustomed to: Draco Malfoy and his goons harassing Harry and Ron. This particular squabble seemed more heated than usual though.

"I suppose you and your brothers have to save up twig by twig," she heard Malfoy snarl. Crabbe and Goyle, standing behind him, patted him on the back and laughed. In contrast, a fuming Ron was clearly on the verge of throwing the first punch.

"Not arguing, I hope, boys?" said Professor Flitwick, arriving on the scene. Alex trailed after him, feeling a bit nosy. Harry, Ron, and Malfoy leered at her, though neither of them said anything. Now that she thought about it, she wasn't on the best of terms with any of them as of late, Malfoy especially. He remained bitter about being assaulted by Tristan, something she explained over and over again wasn't her fault. It was likely a good thing Professor Flitwick was there to prevent anyone from jinxing her.

"Potter's been sent a broomstick, Professor," said Malfoy hurriedly.

"A broomstick?" repeated Alex. That couldn't be. First years (as Hermione Granger would be quick to tell anyone) weren't allowed to own broomsticks. Despite this, the package Harry was holding was sure shaped like one. What was he thinking? She had done her best to keep his nose out of trouble, yet, here he was jumping headfirst into it. She eyed him warily. Strangely, he didn't seem all that upset about being caught red-handed first by Malfoy and now a teacher.

"Yes, yes, that's right," said Professor Flitwick, winking Harry's way. "Professor McGonagall told me all about the special circumstances, Potter. And what model is it?"

"A Nimbus Two Thousand, sir," said Harry. Alex and Malfoy resembled twins on account of how agape their jaws were. Neither could understand this casual discussion. "And it's really thanks to Malfoy here that I've got it."

Alex turned to Malfoy for clarification. Red-faced, he was too preoccupied trying not to hit someone.

Harry and Ron began walking away, with Alex hearing a number of chortles from them.

"Am I missing something here?" she said to herself. If only Hermione was here to see  _ this _ . "Ah! Wait! Potter! Weasley! I need to talk to you!"

But Harry and Ron sped up. Before she could make chase, Professor Flitwick grabbed her arm and began dragging her along with him. He might have been small, but—as she discovered when she found herself unable to break free—he was rather strong.

"No, no, my dear," he said, chuckling again. "While I'm pleased to see you and Weasley on speaking terms, you can talk with your friends later. This is rather important."

"H-Hold on a moment, sir! It won't take long! J-Just one moment, sir!"

She waved her arms toward Malfoy for assistance, but he was far too busy standing there like an imbecile. A mixture of shock and blind fury was etched onto his face. 

_ Wait, why does Potter have a broom? _

**#**

Professor Flitwick and Alex eventually arrived in a small, dusty classroom the latter didn't recognize. Waiting inside were six equally unfamiliar people. Growing nervous, Alex stepped back, prepared to wait outside until Professor Flitwick finished his business. He gave her a gentle tap on the elbow though, informing her  _ she _ was the one going. She looked back at him apprehensively.

"It's alright, my dear," he said. "All these people are here to see you."

" _ Me _ ?" Alex felt a pack of butterflies touchdown in her stomach. "W-What for, sir, if you don't mind me asking?"

"A single step forward into the unknown can lead to most wondrous results!"

That was likely Professor Flitwick's way of saying 'go and find out yourself.' Alex sighed. Fair enough. She remained nervous (enough so that she had to stop herself from muttering about teeth around so many witnesses) though a desire to know what the heck was going on was getting the better of her. She stepped front and center, and all eyes fell on her.

"Is this her, Professor Flitwick, sir?" asked a tall, strapping and dark-haired boy. Alex thought him rather handsome. 

"It is indeed, Davies. This is Alex Worthington. She's a first year. According to Diggory, she knows quite a bit about Quidditch for being so young."

Alex's eyes widened.

_ Diggory? Wait, wasn't that Cedric's last name? _

"Perfect!" said Davies, who made haste to shake a confused Alex's hand. "Good to meet you! My name is Roger Davies. I'm a third year and the substitute Captain of the Ravenclaw Quidditch team."

"Substitute?" asked Alex.

Roger chuckled weakly. "Well, our  _ real  _ Captain took a nasty shot to the head from a Bludger during practice the other day. Been stuck in the hospital wing ever since. Poor bloke still has no clue who he is, though Madam Pomfrey is hopeful his memory will come back soon."

Alex cringed. "I don't mean to sound rude, but...why did you call me here? And what's this about Cedric Diggory? Isn't he a Hufflepuff?"

"Correct. To be specific, he plays Seeker for the Hufflepuff team. However, Diggory is rather friendly—maybe too much for his own good—and will drop by here with any tips he picks up."

"And I'm one of them, correct?"

Roger smiled. "Correct, Worthington."

Alex frowned. Perhaps being so talkative around Cedric Diggory had been a mistake.

_ Who just goes around signing people up for stuff? _

"I'm afraid I'm not very good at sports," she stated. "If you're trying to recruit me for the team..."

"No, that isn't it. Even if we were, first years aren't allowed to play Quidditch, unfortunately."

"Or own broomsticks. Or so I thought," she mumbled, thinking of Harry again.

"Did you say something?" asked Roger.

"Nothing at all. Please, continue."

"Of course." Roger nodded. "While we're not asking you to join our team as a player, we would like to use your expertise concerning Quidditch in a team manager role, if you will. We wouldn't be asking you to do anything too strenuous. Just watching our practices and games, taking notes on the player's conditions and if they need any improvements. Any strategies you could come up with would also be greatly appreciated. You see, we've been getting our behinds handed to us in Quidditch for a few years now. Last year was probably one of our worst years yet. Even the Hufflepuffs finished in a better place than we did. I think the other teams are adapting to the times, and we aren't, even with fresh blood. That's why our Captain was thinking we add someone who can give us a new perspective. Something like that anyway."

"Why would you think a non-player would be any use to you?" said Alex, who still didn't follow.

"It's just like I said, Worthington: sometimes it's good to get a new perspective. Maybe someone who doesn't play can get us out of our funk. That's why he suggested we find someone before the start of the season."

"Is that right?"

"That's right." Roger's expression became quite severe. "We haven't played any games yet. Gryffindor versus Slytherin is the first match on the schedule this year. That'll give us an advantage since we'll have to play both those teams at some point. We can watch them and see if they've come up with any new tactics. Slytherin I think we can handle, but I'm a bit worried about Gryffindor. They're usually rather awful, but they've apparently got a new Seeker. Oliver Wood—he's the Gryffindor Captain—won't tell us anything. He's pretty excited though, meaning he knows something about this Seeker we don't. Anyway, it's important that we in Ravenclaw end up winning the Quidditch Cup this year. It'll get us a lot of house points. For some reason, we've been losing them left and right this year."

Alex cleared her throat and tried her best not to look suspicious. 

_ That's...my fault, isn't it? _

Even with the points Professor Flitwick awarded her last week, she lost them at nearly the same rate thanks to teachers like Professor Snape. Actually, it was  _ mostly _ because of Snape, who held a particular disliking to her. Doing so much as sneezing caused him to penalize her.

_ I'd like to knock a Bludger into that jerk one day... _

"Are you listening, Worthington?" asked Roger.

"Of course," she lied, having missed whatever it was he moments ago said. "C-Could you just repeat that just so we're clear though?"

"Sure," said Roger with a thin smile. "I was just talking about the Gryffindor versus Slytherin game again. If you'll accept our offer, I want you to go and watch it. Maybe you could pick up on some strategies for us to use. Like I said before, we'll end up having to face the Slytherins after the Gryffindors do, so any help we can get..."

He sounded desperate. Alex really didn't see what the big deal was. It was just Quidditch. 

"I'll admit that even after everything you've told me, I don't really have any interest in this team manager position or whatever. Besides, it'll get in the way of my schoolwork."

Alex really meant her reading, but 'schoolwork' was an excuse she felt had more weight.

"Thank you for the offer though. Goodbye."

Speaking of books, she had a good one waiting back in the common room she was itching to get her fingers on. Before she could leave, however, Roger Davies shot in front of her.

"Yes?" she anxiously inquired. "Was there something else you needed?"

"Alright. Professor Flitwick said you might decline, so...let's sweeten the deal," he said. The fire in his eyes was honestly scaring her. "You'll be granted full access to the library, even when it's closed. I can't get you into the restricted section, but..."

"...What was that?" Unbeknownst to Alex, she began salivating to the point of making Roger seriously concerned. "You said the  _ entire _ library? Even the books first years like me aren't allowed to check out?"

"Yes. We've already talked it over with the Headmaster. Even if you're in the library at 3 AM, so long as you aren't making a racket, not even Filch will be able to touch you. Just remember to stay away from the Restricted Section. You'll also have to keep it a secret from your friends and the rest of the school since..."

"I'm in."

"Huh?"

Alex suddenly grabbed Roger by his collar and pulled him in close, looking ready to spill blood. "Didn't you hear me? I said I'm in! You'll never lose another game so long as I'm here!"

A terrified Roger slowly nodded and replied, "F-Fantastic. I'm...um...sure the Captain will—hey! Where are you going?"

Alex, forgetting where she was and what she was doing, again walked toward the exit. She had only one goal in mind: read until her eyes grew bloody and raw. She didn't know how the Ravenclaw Quidditch team had learned about her obsessive reading habits. Frankly, she didn't care. Rubbing her hands together, she cracked a vile smirk that would make Severus Snape blush and couldn't decide which book she would check out from the library first.  The librarian, Madam Pince, had always been the bane of her existence. The woman refused to let her even so much as peek at certain books because of silly age restrictions or because they were 'too violent and disturbing for someone as young as her.' Nonsense. All that was about to change. She could read  _ Dark Arts Defence: Basics for Beginners  _ and  _ Monster Book of Monsters _ for hours on end and without that grating woman chewing her out. Cackling like an escaped mental patient, she rubbed her hands together even harder.

"Is she...quite alright?" Roger asked Professor Flitwick.

"That's a very good question. Um...Miss Worthington? Don't...you at least want to meet the members of the Quidditch team before you go?"

Great. Another distraction. Alex rolled her eyes as hard as she could, growled, and then turned around. It wasn't like she had to worry about the library's 8:00 PM closing time anymore. Since she planned on getting next to no sleep tonight, she supposed she had plenty of time to go there.

"Well, I'll leave you all to it," squeaked Professor Flitwick before making his leave.

"How come  _ he  _ gets to go without a care in the world?" asked Alex bitterly. 

"Over here, Worthington," said Roger, putting an arm around her shoulder. She stared at it, unsure of how much she liked being touched so freely. "We've got a rowdy crowd here, so get ready."

Alex wondered if he expected her to be excited. She couldn't say she was.

"This is Randolph Burrow," he informed her, bringing Alex over to a skinny boy with sandy hair and blue eyes. "He's a third year and a Chaser like me."

"A pleasure, Worthington," said Randolph, shaking her hand. "You'll be our Goddess of Victory, right?"

"S-Something like that." 

Colorful terminology, Alex thought.

Next, Roger pointed to a chubby fellow snacking on some Chocolate Frogs. He was tossing them in the air and trying to catch them in his mouth. Most of them landed on his face instead, hopping away to safety.

"That's Jeremy Stretton. He's a fourth year and another one of our Chasers."

" _ He _ is?" asked Alex incredulously. "No offense, but...he's a little bit big to be riding a broom, isn't he?"

"I heard that," said Jeremy, scowling as another Chocolate Frog darted behind his ear.

"Jeremy might be the fastest Chaser we have on the team actually. Don't let his looks deceive you," explained Roger.

Alex said nothing more on the matter, supposing she would have to take his word for it. If she was going to be in charge of this team though, Jeremy was  _ definitely  _ cutting back on the snacks. 

"Let me introduce you to the Beaters," said Roger. "You know what Beaters are, correct?

"Naturally," she replied, wrinkling her nose at him having the audacity to question her knowledge. "If I had to say what my favorite position in Quidditch was, Beaters would top the list for sure. The violence... _ appeals  _ to me, if that makes sense."

Roger wasn't sure it did, so he said nothing. Instead, he gestured to a black boy with short hair. "That's Duncan Inglebee. He's a second year and one of our new players. He had a bloody good tryout if I do say so myself. Probably the best Beater I've seen in years."

"Never met a Bludger I liked, sir," said Duncan with a grin. He winked at Alex, who opted not to return the gesture. "Good to meet you, Worthington. I'm alright with any private lessons you want to give me, if you catch my drift."

He winked again.

"Why would I want to give you private lessons?" she replied, completely missing the point. 

"Right then," he said awkwardly, going back to inspecting his broomstick. 

"The other Beater," said Roger, this time pointing to a blonde-haired boy who was busy polishing his own broomstick, "is Jason Samuels. He's another fourth year."

Jason didn't bother to glance up from his work or even acknowledge he was being spoken of. Alex got the feeling he was upset about something or another. She would stay out of his way for the time being.

"Finally, and most important of all..."

"What am I? Chopped liver?" said Duncan, still smirking. 

Roger chuckled and shook his head. "Of course not, Inglebee. Sorry. Don't send a Bludger my way during our next game, alright?"

"No promises, mate."

The two shared a laugh, leaving Alex baffled as to what was so humorous about nearly being decapitated by a Bludger. Didn't that simply mean Duncan was a poor shot? Nodding, she would correct that too.

"You were introducing me to the last member?" she said as she pointed to the only person who hadn't been mentioned. She was just about ready to go.

"Yes, of course," Roger said prior to rushing to her side. "This is Cho Chang. She's another of our new members. We'd intended for her to play as a reserve Chaser, but..."

"But?"

"The Captain got injured," said the pretty, black-haired Asian girl who went to shake Alex's hand. "So, now they've got me playing Seeker. I...um...have no clue  _ how _ to play Seeker, by the way."

"And that's where we're going to need your help the most, Worthington," said Roger. 

"I can't even fly a broom," replied Alex. "You expect me to be able to teach this girl how to catch a Snitch?"

"We're not asking much," Roger insisted. "Playing Chaser and Seeker aren't too different when you think about it. There's less work for her now in fact. All Chang here has to worry about is the Golden Snitch now. If you can just get her going on that..."

"Even so..."

"Please?" asked Cho sweetly.

"I..."

What a conundrum. Alex curled her lips. While she sympathized with Cho, who appeared a nervous wreck, she really wasn't sure how much help she could be. Perhaps accepting the job of team manager so hastily had been a mistake. These people desired she perform miracles. 

It was hard though to say no when Cho's dark eyes were filled with so much pleading. Plus, she seemed to be the only girl on the team. Alex felt a bit of solidarity with her.

"Understood," she eventually said. Sheepishly, mind you. "Leave it to me."

She would come to regret this. She just knew it.

"Perfect!" said Roger happily. He clapped his hands. "How about you start tomorrow evening then? The Gryffindors reserved the pitch today, but it's all yours after that, Worthington."

"Sure."

That suited Alex just fine since it meant she would be able to go to the library tonight.

"Oy! Would-be Captain!" voiced Duncan.

"Watch it!" warned Roger, though he smiled anyway.

"Ain't you forgetting someone? I mean, if we're doing introductions and all..."

Although Roger was still smiling, Alex couldn't help but notice it diminish greatly. 

"...No, I'm not. It's not like he would show up anyway."

"Who?" asked Alex.

"No one," replied Roger quickly. "So, you'll help Chang out then, right?"

Alex nodded.

_ That's weird. _

Something wasn't right. Roger, who had been too upbeat for her taste if she was being honest, had suddenly become quite reserved. Did it have something to do with this mysterious, final member who failed to show?

**#**

Despite her earlier enthusiasm, Alex felt hanging out in the library all night hadn't been such a good idea after all. By the time she miraculously managed to wake herself up in time for Double Potions that Friday, she wished someone would pull a wand on her and put her out of her misery. She could hardly keep her bloodshot eyes open as Snape droned on with that day's lesson. It didn't help that the dungeon was annoyingly dark, even with the torches on the walls. Still, she sat up and made it look like she was paying attention. Snape kept shooting her dirty glances that increased her anxiety, though she couldn't tell if he actually knew she was nodding off every now and then. 

"Shoot. Did I already add the Valerian sprigs?" she said fearfully as she gazed down at her cauldron. She and the rest of the class were tasked with making a Forgetfulness Potion, but ironically, she could hardly remember anything Snape said earlier. 

"You did," said Luna, much to her relief. "But I think you added too much."

Alex gasped, just as her potion exploded into a colorful burst of smoke. She and everyone around her began to cough as it spread through the entire dungeon. Though she tried to get a handle on the situation before Snape arrived, she shrieked when his sallow face came popping in front of her.

"What do you think you're doing, Worthington?" he asked coldly. "Didn't I say only  _ two _ sprigs of Valerian?"

"I-I know, sir, but..."

Another eruption spewed out of her cauldron. This one hit Snape right on his crooked nose. Alex, her mouth agape, didn't dare laugh despite how pleasing the sight was.

"...That's five points from Ravenclaw," she heard him say.

"Understood, sir."

"At least you didn't have to go back to the hospital wing," Luna told her after their Potions' lesson was finally over. 

"Yes. I should be jumping for joy," replied Alex bitterly. Her face was still covered in soot that wouldn't go away no matter how much she wiped her face. "At least he called your potion 'adequate.' That's a compliment of the highest order coming from that creep. I don't get it though. I think Snape has it out for me."

"It's not so bad. I heard he treats the Gryffindors even worse."

Alex raised an eyebrow. "Really?"

Luna, sticking her wand behind her left ear for safekeeping, nodded. "They say he  _ really _ doesn't like Harry Potter. He's taken even more points from his class than ours."

Alex wasn't sure whether to be impressed or even more agitated.  Coughing out some black smoke, she couldn't see how anyone could have a grudge against  _ the _ Harry Potter. He saved the wizarding world, did he not? Hogwarts should have already been constructing a bust of him in the Great Hall. 

"That proves it," she said. "Snape is a git."

"Am I now, Worthington?"

Alex froze. Severus Snape, greasy hair and all, was standing right behind them. When and how he got there, she didn't know. In spite of the insult, he smirked in a manner that made Alex's skin crawl. 

"That's another five points from Ravenclaw," said Snape, venom spewing from his tone. "And how about a week's worth of detentions in the dungeon for our Harry Potter fans? Now then, I'd suggest you two get to class before you end up costing your house even more points. I'll be seeing you next week in the evening, I expect."

Snape, with an air of satisfaction surrounding him, stalked away. It took everything in Alex's power not to reach for her wand and use one of the curses she read about last night in the library on him.

"Do you suppose he can read minds?" suggested Luna.

"No," Alex replied, shaking in a blind fury. "He's just very good at eavesdropping. I guess his ears are as big as that stupid nose of his!"

By the time Alex reached the Quidditch field that night with Cho Chang, she was in a  _ really  _ foul mood, having threatened to curse Tristan at dinner for poking fun at her like usual.  He got the message loud and clear and backed off. Her lack of sleep and having to serve a week's worth of detentions with Snape soured any enjoyment she could have gotten from being the Ravenclaw team's new manager.

"Are you alright?" Cho asked her when they reached the center of the pitch.

Wearily, Alex nodded and dropped the heavy bag in her possession. "Don't mind me." 

She looked up. There was still a bit of light, though it would probably fade in about thirty minutes. They didn't have much time. Reaching into her bag, she pulled out a whole bevy of golf balls.

"I read a number of Quidditch books last night," she explained. "Now, I'm supposed to go and get the Golden Snitch for you to practice with, but I don't think you're ready for that just yet. It's much too fast. Instead, I'm going to throw these balls here as hard as I can, and you're going to catch them. Got it?"

"Got it," answered Cho with a nod. She mounted her broomstick. "Um...are you sure you're alright?"

"...I'll live" replied Alex miserably. "You may have to fly pretty low for some of the balls. I don't have the strongest arm. Sorry in advance."

The two got started. The good thing about helping Cho was that it helped Alex forget her troubles for a short while. And Cho was catching the balls for the most part. A few sailed past her ear due to her reacting too slow, but Alex was happy to see it wouldn't take much longer before the Ravenclaw team had an able Seeker. 

"We play the Slytherins after the Hufflepuffs," she mumbled to herself, throwing a ball that nearly clocked Cho right between the eyes. "I wish it was the other way around..."

Severus Snape was the Head of house for Slytherin. She didn't know how much he paid attention to Quidditch, but beating the Slytherins silly in their game was one of the few ways she couldn't get back at him for causing her so much misery. 

"We've got to blow them out by at least four hundred points... No,  _ five hundred _ . 

Alex didn't realize it, but she was tossing balls Cho's way with such ferocity, they were threatening to take her head off. 

"I've gotta watch that game against Gryffindor," she said with conviction. If her memory served her correctly, it would be taking place sometime after Halloween. Hopefully, the Gryffindors would win, but if not, she would have to commit any (no doubt dirty) tricks the Slytherins employed to memory. "Chang should be ready by then. ...I hope."

"Worthington!"

Alex's arm froze in midair as she was about to launch another heater. It was only then she noticed the field littered with golf balls and Cho's skin with welts. 

"Oh! I'm so sorry!"

Cho flew down to her, rubbing her aching skull. One of the golf balls got her right on the forehead. "It's alright. The good thing is I won't even be scared of the Bludgers when we finally get to play. Your right arm is  _ way _ scarier."

Alex got a good laugh out of that one, which in turn made her feel a little less crummy about her day. 

"I think you'll be fine when it's time to  _ crush _ Slytherin."

Her enthusiasm threw Cho for a loop. "You sound...excited. I think you're forgetting about the Hufflepuffs though. From the way you were talking back in the clubroom, I took it you had no interest in Quidditch."

"I can't say I really do. People just assume me knowing every professional team's name by heart and what years they were founded makes me a fan. Can you believe that? I mean, what's the big deal if the Tutshill Tornados were founded in 1520, innovated the Plumpton Pass, and set a league record for winning the League Cup five times in a row?"

She shrugged. Cho, meanwhile, had her mouth wide open.

"T-That's amazing!" she exclaimed. "The Tutshill Tornados are my favorite team, but even I didn't know what year they were founded. See what I mean though? People who don't play or watch Quidditch wouldn't know that much. I think you're a fan, even if you don't realize."

Alex wondered if that was true. She had to admit that after reading  _ Quidditch Through the Ages _ so many times, she at least had a passing interest in the sport and had even read the latest scores in  _ The Daily Prophet _ . 

"It's getting dark," she said, glancing up at the starry sky. "I guess we should call it a night. And you some ice..."

Cho thought so as well, and the two strode off the golf ball-lidden field happily chirping about other famous Quidditch teams and predictions for upcoming matches. Alex, forgetting all about her lousy experience with Snape, had no clue that once morning came, Hagrid would come onto the pitch cursing and shouting about having to clean up her mess.

**END**

  
  



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